Prayer is commonly used by people with cancer to cope with pain, and research suggests it can help with emotional and spiritual suffering though evidence for direct physical pain reduction is mixed.[1][2]
How prayer may help
– Prayer can reduce stress, anxiety, and feelings of isolation, and those changes often make pain feel more manageable even if the underlying physical cause is unchanged.[1][2]
– Spiritual support, including chaplain care or guided spiritual practices, can improve emotional well being and coping, which are important components of a person’s overall pain experience.[3]
What the research shows
– Surveys and observational studies find high use of prayer among people with chronic pain and cancer and report that many users perceive benefit, especially for mood and coping rather than for eliminating pain entirely.[1]
– Clinical trials specifically measuring change in physical pain intensity after prayer alone are limited and have produced mixed results; some studies show small benefits on pain or related outcomes such as anxiety, while others show little or no direct analgesic effect[1][3].
– Trials that integrate spiritual care with palliative treatments (for example, chaplain visits or combined psychotherapy/meditation) are underway to test effects on clinically important outcomes including pain and survival, indicating active interest but not yet definitive proof for pain control from prayer by itself[3].
How clinicians and patients typically use prayer in cancer pain care
– As an adjunct to medical pain management: patients commonly combine prayer with medications, physical therapies, counseling, and palliative care services rather than replacing standard pain treatments[2][3].
– As part of a whole-person approach: spiritual care is often offered within palliative or supportive care to address emotional, existential, and spiritual distress that can amplify perceived pain[2][3].
– Shared decision making: clinicians are encouraged to ask about spiritual needs and, when appropriate, facilitate access to chaplains or other spiritual resources while continuing evidence-based pain treatments[2][3].
Practical considerations
– If a patient finds prayer comforting, it is reasonable to support that practice while ensuring effective medical pain control and safety (for example, appropriate use of opioid and nonopioid analgesics, physical therapy, and psychosocial supports).[2]
– Document spiritual needs and referrals in the medical record and coordinate with palliative care or chaplaincy services when available[3].
– If relying on spiritual practices leads to delaying or declining effective medical treatments, clinicians should discuss risks and benefits and provide clear information about treatment options[2].
Limitations and gaps
– High-quality randomized trials isolating the effect of prayer on objective pain measures are scarce, and many studies rely on self-report or combine prayer with other interventions, making it hard to draw firm conclusions about direct analgesic effects[1][3].
– Perceived benefit may reflect improvements in mood, meaning, and coping rather than changes in nociception; both types of benefit are clinically important but are different outcomes[1].
Sources
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12724214/
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/cancer-6/
https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07290491
