Pain management with "eye movement desensitization and reprocessing" (EMDR): a pilot study to improve quality of life

Background Effective pain management with long-lasting effects for patients with chronic pain is still a challenge. Aim Investigation of the effects of a health-promoting intervention with "eye movement desensitization and reprocessing" (EMDR) in patients with chronic pain and a possible improvement of their quality of life. Method Using a paper-pencil survey, 30 patients with chronic pain were interviewed at two timepoints using subscales of the German Pain Questionnaire (DSF), the Pain Disability Index (PDI), and the WHO Quality of Life-Short Version (WHOQOL-BREF). Between the two timepoints, the patients in the intervention group were treated with EMDR. Results Some significant results indicate that quality of life is improved by using EMDR to treat chronic pain. In the intervention group, quality of life improved significantly in the domains of physical, psychological, and global quality of life compared to both timepoints. Conclusion Due to the explorative character of this study, however, findings can only be cautiously interpreted, and long-term studies with larger samples and follow-up surveys should be conducted to clarify statements about the efficacy and long-term effects of EMDR treatment for chronic pain. This treatment method appears to be of great potential, and use of EMDR an integral part of a multimodal, interdisciplinary pain therapy seems promising.