Mindful Self-Compassion to Reduce Pain Interference Among Adults with Osteogenesis Imperfecta

Between 60 and 80% of adults with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) experience chronic pain and associated interference. Currently available pain therapies often provide marginal efficacy. Mindful self-compassion (MSC) has emerged as a promising intervention for coping with chronic pain. We conducted a single-center 8-week pilot intervention study to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a MSC program among adults with OI and co-occurring chronic pain. Individuals attended the validated MSC course consisting of 8 weekly virtual 2-h sessions. Participants completed a battery of validated questionnaires assessing pain, various aspects of well-being, and physical function at baseline and post-intervention. Participants wore the ActiGraph GT9X Link watch to measure sleep duration and sleep efficiency. Seven adults with OI and co-occurring pain participated in the MSC program. The program was feasible, as indicated by high attendance and high questionnaire completion rates. Participants reported a mean ± standard deviation (SD) of 3.5 out of 5 ± 0.4 on the Intervention Acceptability Framework. 86% (6/7) of participants found the MSC program to be acceptable. While our pilot study was not powered to show efficacy, we observed a decrease in pain interference on the PROMIS pain interference questionnaire (mean 55.9 ± 5.5 at baseline vs. 50.0 ± 7.3 at 8 weeks). Implementation of the MSC program is feasible as a potential therapeutic option to address chronic pain in OI.