Effectiveness of mindfulness meditation on the quality of life, pain intensity, mobility and physical function in adults with chronic low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Discover Psychology December 5, 2025 Sam Safavi‐Abbasi, Elisa Venezia, Michael E. Sughrue et al.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of seven randomized controlled trials found that mindfulness meditation is associated with significant improvements in pain reduction and quality of life for patients with chronic lower-back pain, compared to standard care. The pooled effect size for pain was large (standardized mean difference −1.01), and for quality of life it was moderate (standardized mean difference −0.57). However, there was no evidence that mindfulness meditation improves physical function, with a negligible effect size (standardized mean difference 0.03). Substantial heterogeneity among studies suggests variations in design and protocols. The authors conclude that mindfulness meditation is more effective than conventional treatments for pain and quality of life but not for physical function.