Single-Session Group Breathwork Intervention for Chronic Pain: A Proof-of-Concept Study of Guided Respiration Mindfulness Therapy

Introduction: Chronic pain is a major public health problem. Due to the persistent, costly, and complex nature of chronic pain, there is a need for new safe and effective treatments. Integrative breathwork interventions, or therapeutic styles of conscious breathing, have promise as novel treatments for chronic pain. The primary objective of this proof-of-concept study was to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and clinical significance of an integrative breathwork intervention for adults with chronic pain. Methods: Participants with chronic pain and without prior breathwork experience were eligible for this study. Participants completed online surveys at baseline, 2-week, and 6-week follow-ups as well as a brief survey immediately before and after the single group breathwork session. Guided Respiration Mindfulness Therapy (GRMT) was the integrative breathwork intervention that involved 1 hour of conscious connected breathing while engaging in somatically focused mindfulness and relaxation. Results: A total of 11 participants were enrolled into this study, and 10 completed the breathwork session. The intervention was rated as highly acceptable ( M = 9.3, standard deviation [ SD ] = 1.9) and satisfying ( M = 9.7, SD = 0.5). All participants recommended the intervention to someone else suffering from chronic pain. There were large, clinically meaningful improvements in pain intensity and pain interference from baseline to the 2-week (mean difference [ MD ] = −2.9) and 6-week ( MD = −3.5) follow-ups. Conclusion: A single group session of GRMT was shown to be highly acceptable, satisfying, and potentially helpful to individuals with chronic pain. The findings demonstrated proof of concept, with most participants reporting a clinically meaningful improvement in pain outcomes through the follow-ups. Additional research on integrative breathwork interventions for chronic pain is warranted.