Development and feasibility of a mindfulness-based dance/movement therapy intervention for chronic low back pain.
Minjung Shim, Monica Gaydos, Natasha Goldstein-Levitas, Nicole Musalo, Nalini Prakash, Joke Bradt, Fengqing Zhang, Sarah Wenger, Adam Gonzalez
Frontiers in Pain Research 2024 DOI: 10.3389/fpain.2024.1281085 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Mixed methods feasibility trial Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 18 |
| Population | Individuals with non-specific chronic low back pain, aged 51.7 ± 13.9 years, 72% female, 55% Black and 39% White |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based Dance/Movement Therapy (M-DMT) |
| Duration | 12-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Alternative medicine Dance/Movement Therapy DMT Mindfulness—pain intervention Non-pharmacological interventions Pain rehabilitation Chronic pain management Mindfulness therapy Movement-based interventions |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | The Mindfulness-based Dance/Movement Therapy program was feasible and acceptable, with 80% adherence, 100% retention, and 61% of participants reporting feeling better or a great deal better after the intervention. |
Abstract
Responding to the need for innovative, multi-modal, non-pharmacological strategies in chronic low back pain (cLBP) care, this article presents the development and a mixed methods feasibility trial of a manualized Mindfulness-based Dance/Movement Therapy (M-DMT) program for cLBP. The 12-week program is designed as a group therapy, integrating mindfulness principles, creative/expressive dance and movement, and psychoeducational content focused on cLBP management. This holistic program seeks to cultivate nonjudgmental awareness of pain experiences, challenge maladaptive pain-related beliefs, enhance emotional well-being, foster social support, and promote effective coping strategies for the daily challenges associated with cLBP. The 12-week M-DMT intervention was administered to individuals with non-specific cLBP (N = 18, aged 51.7 ± 13.9 years, 72% female, 55% Black and 39% White). We assessed feasibility and acceptability through monitoring enrollment and retention rates, attendance, and adverse events. Moreover, we measured the intervention's credibility/expectancy, participants' perception of changes, and overall satisfaction. Additionally, we collected qualitative data, capturing participants' perspectives on the intervention's usefulness and perceived benefits. Specific benchmarks were established to gauge the successful feasibility and acceptability of the program. The adherence rate stood at 80%, with a perfect retention rate of 100%. The study successfully met the benchmarks for treatment acceptability and satisfaction criteria, with 61% of participants reporting "feeling better" or a "great deal better" after the intervention. No adverse events were observed. Participants found the intervention enjoyable and reported that it provided effective tools for cLBP and related symptoms. Notably, participants reported a decrease in fear-avoidance behaviors, increased motivation for physical activity, and a boost in self-efficacy for pain management. These encouraging findings establish a strong basis for considering the M-DMT intervention as a promising approach for cLBP management, warranting further investigation in larger-scale studies.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cites 11
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mindfulness meditation for the treatment of chronic low back pain in older adults: A randomized controlled pilot study ☆ Pain June 4, 2007
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Body Awareness in Patients with Chronic Pain and Comorbid Depression Frontiers in Psychology June 30, 2016
- Restructuring reward processing with Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement: novel therapeutic mechanisms to remediate hedonic dysregulation in addiction, stress, and pain. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences April 1, 2016
and 6 more in the library