Effects of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction on Pain, Depression and Anxiety of Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain
Mohadese Golsorkhi, Noshirvan Khezri, Elahe Kheirkhah, Roxana Jabbari Nejad Kermani
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractMindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) plus usual medical care reduces pain severity, depression, and anxiety more than usual medical care alone in females with chronic low back pain. Thirty patients were randomly assigned to either an eight-session MBSR course plus usual care or usual care only. Assessments before, immediately after, and eight weeks following the intervention showed that those who practiced MBSR had significantly greater reductions in pain, depression, and anxiety. The authors suggest a short MBSR course can be a useful supplemental therapy, while a longer course may be needed to detect improvements in total anxiety and cognitive aspects of depression.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Females with chronic low back pain |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based stress reduction |
| Duration | Eight meditation sessions, with follow-up eight weeks after the intervention |
| Key finding | MBSR plus usual medical care significantly reduced pain severity, depression, and anxiety compared to usual medical care alone in females with chronic low back pain. |
Abstract
BackgroundMindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) reduces pain, depression, and anxiety in patients suffering from various illnesses. MBSR and other complementary/alternative therapies can be used in conjunction with prescription medications. This article examines the effectiveness of MBSR as a mind-body intervention on the level of pain, depression, and anxiety in females with chronic low back pain (CLBP).MethodsA total of thirty patients diagnosed with CLBP by physicians enrolled in this study and randomly assigned to the experimental (MBSR+ usual medical care) and the control group (usual medical care only). The Beck Depression Inventory, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the pain rating scale were used to evaluate participants in three-time frames: before, right away, and eight weeks following the intervention. The final data were analyzed by ANCOVA using SPSS software.Our findings showed that MBSR was influential in reducing pain severity, depression, and anxiety of patients who practiced eight meditation sessions more than patients who only received usual medical care (P<0.001).ConclusionA short MBSR course could be a useful supplemental therapy that specifically reduces pain, anxiety, and depression in patients diagnosed with chronic low back pain. In contrast, a longer course may be necessary to detect unique improvements in total anxiety and cognitive aspects of depression.