Mindfulness Meditation and Chronic Pain Management in Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury: A Pilot Study

This study examined the effectiveness of iRest meditation for chronic pain in veterans with moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI). Veterans were randomly assigned to iRest (n = 4) or treatment as usual (n = 5) for eight weeks. Patient-reported pain intensity and interference were assessed at baseline, end point, and four-week follow-up. Veterans receiving iRest reported clinically meaningful reductions in pain intensity (23% to 42%) and pain interference (34% to 41%) for most outcome measures and time points. Effect sizes were large for pain interference (g = 0.92–1.13) and medium to large for intensity (g = 0.37–0.61). We conclude that iRest is a promising self-management approach for chronic pain in veterans with moderate TBI.