AAN 2021 | How does mindfulness induce pain relief in migraine?

A recent clinical trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) compared to headache education in adults with migraine demonstrated the ability of mindfulness to improve experimentally induced pain intensity and unpleasantness. Rebecca Wells, MD, Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston Salem, NC, talks on potential mechanisms behind mindfulness-induced pain relief. While many hypotheses have been suggested, one possibility is that mindfulness may target stress, a well-recognized migraine trigger. As well as targeting stress reactivity, it is thought mindfulness may induce a shift in pain appraisal. This interview took place during the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2021 Annual Meeting.