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Study: Prayer More Effective Than Music for Pain Relief
In a randomized trial, 180 adults who received five minutes of Christian prayer reported greater relief from pain and anxiety than those who listened to music.
- University of Maryland researchers found that five minutes of in-person Christian prayer, or proximal intercessory prayer , significantly reduced pain and anxiety in 180 primary-care patients compared to a music control group.
- The study recruited a diverse patient population—83% Black and 78% female—to test this non-pharmacologic intervention, which involved a trained volunteer offering a gentle laying-on-of-hands during clinic visits.
- Participants receiving prayer reported immediate reductions in pain and anxiety, with anxiety benefits persisting for six weeks, though pain relief faded by week six; 97% of all participants requested future access to prayer.
- Authors cautioned that the trial could not blind participants, raising the possibility that placebo effects or mind-body interactions contributed to symptom reductions rather than prayer alone.
- Future multicenter studies with diverse populations are necessary to confirm findings and extend PIP's application, which researchers emphasize serves as an adjunct to, not a substitute for, professional medical treatment.
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Can Prayer Improve Your Health? Study Reveals Surprising Benefits - Charisma Magazine Online
For many believers, prayer is far more than a spiritual discipline—it is a lifeline. Now, new research suggests that even a brief moment of receiving prayer may be associated with measurable improvements in physical and emotional well-being.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources12
Leaning Left0Leaning Right3Center1Last UpdatedBias Distribution75% Right
Bias Distribution
- 75% of the sources lean Right
75% Right
C 25%
R 75%
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