“Pain doesn’t control my life, I control it” – a qualitative investigation of the experiences of individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain participating in a mindfulness-based stress reduction program

Purpose To explore the experiences of individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain who participated in a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, focusing on how the program content and mindfulness practices translated into participants’ lives and how it impacted their pain.Materials and methods We conducted a qualitative descriptive study with 10 (7 women; mean age = 46.5 years, SD = 14.1) participants who had completed an MBSR program either online or in person. Data were collected through photo-elicitation and semi-structured interviews and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.Results We identified five themes: (1) Mindfulness enhances connection to self, others, and surroundings; (2) Mindfulness changes the perception of pain, without always reducing pain; (3) Motivators to engage with mindfulness went beyond pain and mental health; (4) Time, feelings of inadequacy and pain challenged engagement with mindfulness; and (5) Course structure, support from others and perceived benefits facilitated engagement.Conclusions Mindfulness may positively impact the emotional and psychological aspects of chronic musculoskeletal pain, extending to broader aspects of life, such as connection with others. While not all participants reported experiencing pain reduction, many discussed a shift in pain perception and acceptance of pain that improved their lives. These results underscore the potential benefits of incorporating mindfulness into chronic pain care to improve quality of life.