This month Psychosomatic Medicine published a very small cross sectional study examining pain perception and the potential analgesic effect of mindful Zen meditation.   Although the study size was small (n=13), the subjects had greater than 1,000 hrs of meditation and discovered some positive effects of Zen meditation.

Results indicated: meditators required nigher temperatures to elicit pain  and reported decreased pain intensity compared to control (reported no change). In meditators, pain modulation corresponded to a slowed respiratory rate.  The article thought the mindfulness-related results may be in part explained by changes in respiratory rates.

The study concluded:

Zen meditators have lower pain sensitivity and experience analgesic effects during mindful states. Results may reflect cognitive/self-regulatory skills related to the concept of mindfulness and/or altered respiratory patterns.

Its a preliminary study which suggests further investigation regarding the application of mindfulness meditation in pain management.

Here’s a nice little article from the NIH on meditating for health purposes with a bibliography.