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Cited by 126Pain Management and Placebo EffectMindfulness and Compassion InterventionsPsychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments

The effects of slow breathing on affective responses to pain stimuli: an experimental study

Zautra, Alex J., Fasman, Robert, Davis, Mary C., Craig, Arthur D. (Bud)·2010·Pain
DOI 10.1016/j.pain.2009.10.001
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Abstract

This study examined whether breathing rate affected self-reported pain and emotion following thermal pain stimuli in women with fibromyalgia syndrome (FM: n=27) or age-matched healthy control women (HC: n=25). FM and HC were exposed to low and moderate thermal pain pulses during paced breathing at their normal rate and one-half their normal rate. Thermal pain pulses were presented in four blocks of four trials. Each block included exposure to both mild and moderate pain trials, and periods of both normal and slow paced breathing. Pain intensity and unpleasantness were recorded immediately following each pain trial, and positive and negative affect were assessed at the end of each block of trials. Compared to normal breathing, slow breathing reduced ratings of pain intensity and unpleasantness, particularly for moderately versus mildly painful thermal stimuli. The effects of slow breathing on pain ratings were less reliable for FM patients than for HCs. Slow versus normal breathing decreased negative affect ratings following thermal pain pulses for both groups, and increased positive affect reports, but only for healthy controls with high trait negative affect. Participants who reported higher levels of trait positive affect prior to the experiment showed greater decreases in negative affect as a result of slow versus normal breathing. These experimental findings provide support for prior reports on the benefits of yogic breathing and mindful Zen meditation for pain and depres…

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.pain.2009.10.001

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  • Slow, rhythmic breathing reduces negative affect toward pain stimuli.

    “Other studies have found that slow, rhythmic breathing also reduced negative affect toward pain stimuli (Zautra et al., 2010; Zeidan et al., 2015).”

    From Mindfulness, Interoception, and the Body: A Contemporary Perspective (2019) · cites this paper as Zautra et al., 2010

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Authors
Zautra, A. J., Fasman, R., Davis, M. C., & Craig, A. D. (.
Affiliations
  • Barrow Neurological Institute (US)
  • Arizona State University (US)
Corresponding author
Zautra, Alex J.
ORCID
Davis, Mary C.
Venue
Pain
Publisher
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Published
2010-04
Volume
149
Issue
1
Pages
12-18
ISSN
0304-3959 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.pain.2009.10.001
OpenAlex
W2044468613
Cited by
126
References
9
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 8
FWCI
5.82
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Pain (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Pain Management and Placebo Effect
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
Keywords
slow-paced breathing, paced breathing, respiratory rate, fibromyalgia, thermal pain, pain unpleasantness, pain intensity, negative affect, positive affect, trait positive affect, chronic pain, pranayama, Zen meditation
MeSH terms
Aged, Female, Fibromyalgia, Humans, Middle Aged, Pain, Respiratory Mechanics, Pain Threshold, Meditation, Respiratory Rate

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