Mindfulness-based approaches for managing chronic pain: Applications to vocational rehabilitation and employment

BACKGROUND: This article examines the American chronic pain epidemic and its implications for vocational rehabilitation (VR) research and practice. OBJECTIVE: The incidence and prevalence of health conditions that result in or are characterized by chronic pain are presented, followed by a description of how mindfulness approaches in counseling can be used to help VR consumers with chronic pain cope with the effects of their conditions. CONCLUSION: Emphasis is placed on mindfulness strategies that can be applied in VR practice settings to help workers with chronic pain achieve job satisfaction, job satisfactoriness, job retention, and high levels of quality of life.