Table 2.
Summary of the RCTs for participants with physical disorders.
| Disorder [Reference] | Kind of Meditation (Category *) | N. of Participants # (N. of Arms, Controls) | Period (Weeks) | Clinical Finding (Statistical) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Significant | Not Significant | ||||
| Cancer | |||||
| Breast cancer [16] | Kirtan Kriya (Y + T) | 31 (2, music listening) | 8 | depressive mood, fatigue, cognitive functions A, | feeling anxious, stress, self-efficacy |
| Breast cancer [17] | MM (M) | 92 (3, muscle relaxation, education) | 12 | fatigue A | QoL |
| Breast cancer [18] | Self-care toolkit (other) | 100 (2, usual care) | 2 | pain | depressive mood, feeling anxious A, sleep, fatigue, social role, physical functions, nausea |
| Breast cancer [19] | Tai chi (other) | 90 (2, CBT) | 12 | depressive mood, sleep A, fatigue | - |
| Breast cancer [20] | Yoga (Y) | 69 (2, counseling) | 24 | depressive mood, feeling anxious, cancer symptoms | - |
| Breast cancer [21] | Hatha yoga (Y) | 40 (2, waitlist) | 12 | QoL, fatigue, menopausal symptoms A | depressive mood, feeling anxious |
| Breast cancer [22] | YOCAS (Y) | 167 (2, waitlist) | 4 | fatigue | - |
| Breast cancer [23] | Qigong + Tai chi (other) | 87 (2, sham qigong) | 12 | fatigue A | depressive mood, sleep |
| Breast cancer [24] | Mindful awareness practices (M) | 71 (2, usual care) | 6 | stress A, sleep, fatigue, hot flashes, affect | depressive mood A, pain, fear, intrusive thoughts |
| Breast cancer [25] | Mindfulness-based cancer recovery (M) | 271 (3, supportive therapy, stress management) | 8 | stress, mood A | health-related functions, social support |
| Cancer [26] | Yoga (Y) | 410 (2, usual care) | 4 | sleep A | - |
| Breast cancer [27] | MBSR (M) | 336 (2, usual care) | 8 | - | sleep A |
| Breast cancer [28] | Danhak (other) | 102 (2, usual care) | 6 | feeling anxious A, fatigue, QoL | depressive mood A, dyspnea |
| Cancer [29] | MBSR (M) | 71 (2, waitlist) | 24 | - | depressive mood, feeling anxious, stress, intrusive thoughts, avoidance, hyperarousal, positive thinking, self-efficacy |
| Breast cancer [30] | TM (T) | 130 (2, usual care) | 72 | QoL A, spiritual well-being, mental health | vitality |
| Cancer [31] | MBSR (M) | 90 (2, waitlist) | 7 | depressive mood, feeling anxious, stress, anger, vigor, confusion, mood, habitual patterns, irritability | fatigue, peripheral symptoms |
| Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissues | |||||
| Rheumatoid arthritis [32] | Yoga-based mind-body intervention (Y) | 72 (2, usual care) | 8 | depressive mood, inflammatory markers A | - |
| Knee osteoarthritis [33] | Mantra (Y + T) | 22 (2, music listening) | 8 | sleep, mood | QoL, stress, pain A, osteoarthritis symptoms A |
| Fibromyalgia [34] | Meditation awareness training (M) | 148 (2, CBT) | 8 | depressive mood A, feeling anxious A, stress A, sleep A, pain A, fibromyalgia symptoms A, nonattachment, civic engagement | - |
| Chronic low back pain [35] | MBSR (M) | 341 (3, CBT, usual care) | 8 | pain A, disability A, global impression | depressive mood, feeling anxious, QoL |
| Chronic low back pain [36] | Jyoti meditation (Y) | 68 (2, exercise) | 8 | stress | depressive mood, feeling anxious, QoL, pain A, disability |
| Fibromyalgia [37] | MBSR (M) | 91 (2, usual care) | 8 | stress, sleep, fatigue, fibromyalgia symptoms | physical function, salivary cortisol |
| Chronic neck pain [38] | Jyoti meditation (Y) | 89 (2, exercise) | 8 | pain A | depressive mood, feeling anxious, QoL, stress |
| Chronic pain [39] | MBSR (M) | 109 (2, waitlist) | 8 | depressive mood, feeling anxious, pain, vitality A, general mental health, engagement | physical function, catastrophic thinking |
| Knee osteoarthritis [40] | Yoga (Y) | 250 (2, physiotherapy exercise) | 14 | QoL | - |
| Chronic pain [41] | MBSR (M) | 99 (2, multidisciplinary pain intervention) | 8 | vigorous activity | depressive mood, feeling anxious, QoL, pain A, fatigue, anger, confusion |
| Fibromyalgia [42] | MBSR (M) | 168 (3, nonspecific MBSR, waitlist) | 8 | - | depressive mood, feeling anxious, QoL A, sleep, pain, mindfulness |
| Chronic low back pain [43] | Yoga (Y) | 80 (2, exercise) | 1 | pain, flexibility | |
| Rheumatoid arthritis [44] | MM (M) | 106 (3, CBT, education) | 8 | - | depressive mood A, pain A, affect A, swelling, tenderness |
| Rheumatoid arthritis [45] | MBSR (M) | 63 (2, waitlist) | 8 | depressive mood A, rheumatoid arthritis symptoms A, mental well-being, mindfulness | |
| Diseases of the nervous system | |||||
| Parkinson’s disease [46] | Yoga (Y) | 33 (2, proprioceptive training) | 12 | parkinsonismA | - |
| Headaches [47] | TM (T) | 131 (3, hypnotherapy, muscle relaxation) | 12 | - | pain A, depressive mood, feeling anxious, somatization |
| Multiple sclerosis [48] | Online MBSR (M) | 121 (2, psychoeducation) | 8 | depressive mood, feeling anxious, QoL A, sleep | fatigue |
| Migraines [49] | Spiritual meditation (T) | 83 (4, internally & externally focused secular meditations, muscle relaxation) | 4 | pain | spirituality |
| Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [50] | MBSR (M) | 100 (2, usual care) | 8 | depressive mood, feeling anxious, QoL A | mindfulness |
| Parkinson’s disease [51] | Mindfulness-based lifestyle (M) | 57 (2, waitlist) | 6 | stress, mindfulness | depressive mood, feeling anxious, parkinsonism A, |
| Multiple sclerosis [52] | Yoga (Y) | 60 (2, no treatment) | 12 | - | QoL |
| Parkinson’s disease [53] | MBSR (M) | 27 (2, usual care) | 8 | brain MRI (gray matter density) A | - |
| Migraine [54] | Spiritual meditation (T) | 83 (4, internally & externally focused secular meditations, muscle relaxation) | 4 | pain | depressive mood, feeling anxious, QoL, emotion, spirituality |
| Diseases of the circulatory system | |||||
| Heart disease [55] | VR meditation (other) | 48 (2, eye mask or ear plugs) | 1 day | sleep | - |
| Hypertension [56] | Yoga (Y) | 75 (3, yoga without posture, waitlist) | 12 | blood pressure A | depressive mood, feeling anxious, QoL, stress, heart rate |
| Hypertension [57] | MBSR (M) | 101 (2, waitlist) | 8 | - | blood pressure A |
| Congestive heart failure [58] | TM (T) | 23 (2, education) | 24 | physical functions A | depressive mood, QoL, stress |
| Coronary heart disease [59] | TM (T) | 103 (2, education) | 16 | blood pressure, anger | depressive mood, feeling anxious, stress, blood lipid level, exercise, HRV |
| Hypertension [60] | TM (T) | 150 (3, education, muscle relaxation) | 48 | blood pressure A | - |
| Carotid atherosclerosis [61] | TM (T) | 60 (2, education) | 24 | carotid intima-media thickness A | blood pressure, blood lipid level, weight |
| Gynecological disorders | |||||
| Gynecological disease [62] | Mobile app Calm (M) | 101 (2, usual care) | 4 | depressive mood, feeling anxious, stress A, sleep | - |
| Chronic pelvic pain [63] | Mobile app-based MM (M) | 90 (3, muscle relaxation, usual care) | 8 | - | pain A |
| Dysmenorrhea [64] | Yoga (Y) | 36 (2, no treatment) | 12 | stress, pain | - |
| Menopausal disorder [65] | Yoga (Y) | 260 (2, no treatment) | 18 | QoL A | - |
| Menopausal disorder [66] | Yoga (Y) | 180 (2, no treatment) | 12 | menopausal symptoms A | - |
| Menopausal disorder [67] | Yoga (Y) | 120 (2, exercise) | 8 | stress, vasomotor symptoms, personality | psychological symptoms, somatic symptoms |
| Menopausal disorder [68] | Yoga (Y) | 108 (2, exercise) | 8 | cognitive function A | vasomotor symptoms A |
| Metabolic disorders | |||||
| DM type 2 [69] | MBSR (M) | 69 (3, muscle relaxation, education) | 12 | - | QoL, pain A, fatigue |
| DM type 2 + amputation [70] | TM (T) | 54 (2, diabetic care training) | 4 | amputee body image A | - |
| Obesity [71] | MBSR (M) | 194 (2, muscle relaxation) | 22 | - | sleep A |
| DM type 2 [72] | MBSR (M) | 56 (3, walking, education) | 8 | inflammatory response | stressA, blood glucose A |
| DM type 2 [73] | Mindful eating intervention (M) | 52 (2, self-management) | 12 | - | depressive mood, feeling anxious, DM symptoms A, mindfulness |
| Metabolic syndrome [74] | Consciously resting meditation (Y + T) | 68 (2, education) | 12 | stress, vascular functions A | depressive mood, feeling anxious, hostility, anger, physical activity, metabolic & inflammatory markers |
| Diseases of otorhinolaryngology | |||||
| Glaucoma [75] | MM (M) | 60 (2, medication) | 3 | QoL, IOPA | - |
| Glaucoma [76] | Breathing meditation (other) | 60 (2, usual care) | 6 | - | QoL, IOPA, blood markers |
| Glaucoma [77] | MBSR (M) | 90 (2, usual care) | 3 | QoL, IOP A, blood markers | visual field |
| Tinnitus [78] | MM (M) | 61 (2, relaxation) | 15 | tinnitus symptoms A | depressive mood, feeling anxious, body temperature |
| Tinnitus [79] | MBCT (M) | 75 (2, relaxation) | 8 | tinnitus symptoms A, attention awareness | depressive mood, feeling anxious, stress A, social adjustment |
| Diseases of the digestive system | |||||
| Foregut surgery [80] | VR meditation (other) | 52 (2, usual care) | 1 day | - | feeling anxious, pain, nausea |
| Functional gastrointestinal disorders [81] | Yoga (Y) | 69 (2, usual care) | 10 | - | pain A, well-being |
| Inflammatory bowel disease [82] | Mindfulness-based therapy (M) | 66 (2, usual care) | 16 | - | stress, inflammatory bowel disease symptoms A, positive thinking, avoidance, seeking advice, self-blame |
| Others | |||||
| COPD [83] | Breathing-based walking (other) | 78 (2, usual care) | 8 | depressive mood, feeling anxious, COPD symptoms, | - |
| HIV [84] | Yoga (Y) | 60 (2, waitlist) | 8 | depressive mood, feeling anxious, QoL A, fatigue, well-being | - |
| Periodontitis [85] | Yoga (Y) | 80 (2, usual care) | 12 | stress, periodontitis symptoms | - |
| Renal disease [86] | Telephone MBSR (M) | 55 (2, telephone support) | 8 | depressive mood | feeling anxious A, QoL, sleep, pain, fatigue |
| HIV [87] | Yoga (Y) | 47 (2, usual care) | 12 | stress, positive affect A, mental well-being A, general health, social functions, cognitive functions | |
| Asthma [88] | Sahaja yoga (Y) | 47 (2, relaxation + group discussion + CBT-like exercise) | 16 | feeling anxious, fatigue, asthma symptoms A | depressive mood, QoL A, anger, vigor, confusion |
* The interventions were categorized in four groups (M: mindfulness-based; Y: yoga-based; T: transcendental; and other meditation). # This was in accordance with demographic feature of original article. A This is the primary outcome measurement of each RCT.CBT: cognitive behavior therapy; COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; DM: diabetes mellitus; HIV: human immunodeficiency virus; HRV: heart rate variability; IOP: intraocular pressure; MBCT: mindfulness-based cognitive therapy; MBSR: mindfulness-based stress reduction; MM: mindfulness meditation; MRI: magnetic resonance imaging; QoL: quality of life; TM: transcendental meditation; VR: virtual reality; YOCAS: yoga for cancer survivors.