Importance: Back pain is among the most common, disabling, and costly conditions managed in primary care in the US, but current treatment options often do not provide adequate relief. Mindfulness-based interventions have demonstrated effectiveness in individuals with chronic low back pain (CLBP); however, mindfulness remains underused in part because it is not integrated into most outpatient...
Pain MedicineMarch 25, 2026Lorena S Nunes, Angela C. Incollingo Rodriguez, Benjamin C. Nephew et al.
Dear Editor, Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is increasingly prevalent across populations and ages.1 Low back pain is currently the leading cause of disability worldwide.2 Beyond widespread effects on individual functioning and well-being, the financial,3 psychological,4 and social5 implications of cLBP are vast. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is effective in decreasing various pain...
Disparities in substance use treatment access and outcomes between communities with racially, economically, linguistically, and mentally/physically marginalized identities and more privileged populations are staggering. Communities of color lack access to culturally resonant treatment options that incorporate the role of racial oppression, address the chronic effects of stress on the nervous...
Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) are transdiagnostic developmental risk factors for various mental and physical health issues, including Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). Existing research demonstrated ACE not only affects the onset, severity, and comorbidity of disorders, but also affects treatment responses. To investigate whether and how ACE modulates treatment effects of Mindfulness Based...
Chronic low back pain is globally prevalent and associated with significant impairment in quality of life. Furthermore, people from historically marginalized communities are less likely to receive treatment, contributing to health inequities. Group mindfulness-based interventions improve pain and function, and virtual delivery has been demonstrated to be feasible. Little is known about how...
Key Points Question During buprenorphine treatment, does group-based mindfulness training reduce opioid use, craving, and anxiety compared with group recovery support? Findings In this randomized clinical trial including 196 adults prescribed buprenorphine for opioid use disorder, mindfulness was not superior at reducing illicit opioid use compared with an active group intervention with an...
Chronic pain is one of the most common drivers of healthcare utilization and a marked domain for health disparities, as African American/Black populations experience high rates of chronic pain. Integrative Medical Group Visits (IMGV) combine mindfulness techniques, evidence-based integrative medicine, and medical group visits. In a parent randomized controlled trial, this approach was tested as...
Mindfulness-, compassion-, and acceptance-based (i.e., "third wave") psychotherapies are effective for treating chronic pain conditions. Many of these programs require that patients engage in the systematic home practice of meditation experiences so they can develop meditation skills. This systematic review aimed at evaluating the frequency, duration, and effects of home practice in patients...
To understand the mechanisms of mindfulness' impact on migraine. Promising mindfulness research demonstrates potential benefit in migraine, but no data-driven model exists from the lived experiences of patients that explains the mechanisms of mindfulness in migraine. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with adults with migraine who participated in two mindfulness-based stress...
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is an evidence-based non-pharmacological approach for chronic low back pain (cLBP), yet it is not readily available or reimbursable within primary care clinics. Primary care providers (PCPs) who wish to avoid prescribing opioids and other medications typically have few options for their cLBP patients. We present the protocol of a pragmatic clinical...
Self-compassion meditation, which involves compassion toward the self in moments of suffering, shows promise for improving pain-related functioning, but its underlying mechanisms are unknown. This longitudinal, exploratory pilot study investigated the effects of a brief (eight contact hours, two weeks of home practice) self-compassion training on pain-related brain processing in chronic low...
Little is known about the acceptance of non-pharmacological group strategies delivered to low income racially diverse patients with chronic pain and depression. This paper examines how the Integrative Medical Group Visit (IMGV) addresses many of the deficits identified with usual care. Six IMGVs cohorts were held at a safety net hospital and two federally funded community health centres. Data...
Pain MedicineJune 2016Danielle Dresner, Katherine Gergen-Barnett, Kirsten Resnick et al.
Integrative Medicine Group Visits (IMGVs) are an 8-week outpatient medical group visit program for chronic pain patients combining mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), integrative medicine, and patient education. The authors conducted a qualitative study with IMGV participants to better understand the effects of IMGVs on patients' health. This qualitative study enrolled a convenience...
Background: Chronic pain affects millions of racially diverse Americans. Evidence suggests that group medical visits are effective for treating chronic pain; similarly, a number of studies demonstrate the effectiveness of certain evidence-based complementary therapies in managing pain. Objectives: The primary goal of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of the integrative medical group...
Most research on the impact of mind-body training does not ask about participants' baseline experience, expectations, or preferences for training. To better plan participant-centered mind-body intervention trials for nurses to reduce occupational stress, such descriptive information would be valuable. We conducted an anonymous email survey between April and June, 2010 of North American nurses...
Akshit Soota, Angela C. Incollingo Rodriguez, Benjamin C. Nephew et al.
preprint
ABSTRACT Millions of people each year suffer from chronic low back pain (cLBP), which adversely affects their physical and mental health. While non-pharmacological interventions such as mindfulness are known to be effective in treating cLBP, not all patients experience the same benefit. Determining who these treatments might work best for is difficult, as there are no reliable predictors of the...