Aims: Use of anti-pain drugs, especially narcotics, has serious side effects and the combination of non-pharmacological methods with drugs can be the most effective way of pain relief. One of the non-pharmacological methods is the guided imagery. This study was done to evaluate the effect of guided imagery on pain of orthopedic operations in traumatic patients.

Methods: This clinical trial with 2 groups was conducted in traumatic patients’ referred to Shahid Hasheminejad hospital of Mashhad in 2010. 74 patients were selected by simple nonrandomized sampling method. Data collection instruments were McGill Pain Questionnaire, numerical analogue scale and imagery potential Questionnaire. Data was analyzed by SPSS 18 software using independent T, Chi-square, Fisher’s exact, Mann-Whitney U, variance analysis with repeated measures, Friedman correlation and two way variance analysis tests.

Results: total pain and pain quality scores had significant difference between 2 groups in the third day (p= 0.0001). Imagery score had no significant relationship with pain intensity and pain duration but had a significant correlation with pain quality (r=-0.423 p=0.009). Intragroup differences of the total pain score 3 days before to 3 days after and different days before and after the surgery and the pain intensity score of different days before and after the surgery were significant.

Conclusion: Guided imagery leads to decreasing of total pain and pain duration scores and improvement of pain quality in the third day after surgery of patients with fracture but do not affect the pain intensity.