Prayer Reduces Pain, Anxiety in Study

A randomized controlled trial conducted by the University of Maryland School of Medicine>>> found that a five-minute session of proximal intercessory prayer (PIP) significantly reduced pain and anxiety in primary care patients. The study, led by Katherine Jacobson>>> and co-authored by Josh Brown>>> of Indiana University>>> and the Global Medical Research Institute>>>, involved 180 patients and compared prayer to a music control group. Results showed greater pain reductions immediately and at two weeks for the prayer group, and sustained anxiety reductions at two and six weeks. Black participants showed particularly significant improvements. The intervention was safe, well-received, and is suggested as a low-cost, non-pharmacologic complement to standard care, especially for underserved populations in the United States>>>. The findings were published in the Annals of Family Medicine>>>.