Mindfulness trials showed migraine symptom improvements, with limits
A review found improvements in pain and psychological outcomes, but no statistically significant effects on activity-related disability or migraine medication use.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Mindfulness-based interventions showed favorable pooled results for migraine pain intensity, attack frequency, quality of life, and several psychological symptoms. However, the review did not find statistically significant changes in activity-related disability or medication use. The findings suggest benefits in some areas without establishing improvement across all aspects of living with migraine.
This abstract-based summary cannot assess comparison treatments, intervention schedules, or follow-up periods because those details are missing. The abstract mentions assessing bias but does not report those assessments.
What researchers found
Pain intensity
Mindfulness versus unspecified comparators; timing unspecified. This is a small difference relative to score variability, expressed in standard-deviation units. The authors interpret the positive sign as less pain. The confidence interval gives a range compatible with the data, entirely favoring mindfulness.
Symptoms and daily function differed
Pain intensity and frequency improved in the pooled analyses, while activity-related disability did not show a statistically significant effect. Symptom scores and the ability to carry out activities are separate outcomes.
Medication findings remain uncertain
The review found no statistically significant effects on analgesic or triptan use. That does not establish unchanged medication use, and these results cannot establish that mindfulness can replace migraine medicines.
The original publication
Effectiveness and influence of mindfulness-based intervention on migraine patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Liao YC, Chen WS, Restya WPD et al.
J Psychosom Res · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40876377
- Record checked
AI-assisted research and writing. This explains one selected publication; it is not a complete review of everything known. Our approach.
One more question, understood.
Keep track of the research you’ve explored.