Brief In-Person Prayer Eases Pain, Anxiety

Five minutes of hands-on prayer may pack more punch than five minutes of soft music, at least for some primary care patients. Per Fox News, a randomized trial from the University of Maryland School of Medicine found that in-person Christian intercessory prayer, delivered by trained volunteers, led to bigger drops in pain and anxiety than listening to gentle music, also for five minutes. The study, published in Annals of Family Medicine, followed 180 adult patients with moderate to severe pain or anxiety, or both, for six weeks.

Those who received the prayer session reported greater pain relief immediately and at two weeks (but not at six weeks), and notably lower anxiety that lasted through the full follow-up at six weeks, per a release. Nearly all participants said they'd be open to having this kind of prayer offered in future visits. Black participants saw the largest reductions, which researchers say could matter for addressing documented gaps in pain care.

The intervention appeared to help regardless of a patient's religious belief. Still, the authors caution that placebo effects, the impact of human touch and presence, and the study's mostly Black, low-income sample mean the results need confirmation in broader, more tightly controlled trials.