5-minute Mindful Pain Management Strategy

Participants in the Mindful Mapping condition will receive a 5-minute, therapist-guided mindfulness intervention for chronic pain. During this training they will learn the 30-second Mindful Mapping technique, which they will be instructed to use each time they experience a painful sensation over the next 2 weeks. The Mindful Mapping technique consists of focusing on five basic characteristics (shape, weight, density, temperature, movement) of the most intense sensation in the body as it emerges in the present moment while remaining equanimous, i.e., preventing the learned reaction.

"Participants in the control condition will receive a 5-minute, therapist-guided serial sevens intervention for chronic pain. During this training, participants will be instructed that each time they experience pain, they will count backwards in their heads by 7 from 100 for 30 second."