Mindfulness-Based Interventions in the Treatment of Physical Conditions

This chapter reviews the evidence for mindfulness-based therapies in the treatment of physical conditions. We reviewed the literature for numerous conditions including pain, cancer, blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, sexual function, insomnia, substance use, and immune function. There is moderate evidence that mindfulness-based therapies improve symptoms of pain in general, and low back pain in particular. There is preliminary evidence that mindfulness-based therapies improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, some aspects of heart disease, sexual function, susceptibility to colds, and reduce Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), a transcription factor thought to play a role in promoting inflammation.