Effects of meditation on pain intensity, physical function, quality of life and depression in adults with low back pain - A systematic review with meta-analysis.
Helena Schmidt, Christian Pilat
Complementary Therapies in Medicine March 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2023.102924 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review with meta-analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,005 |
| Population | Low back pain patients aged at least 18 years |
| Intervention | Meditation |
| Duration | Post-treatment and follow-up (mean 20 weeks, range 4–52 weeks) |
| Topics | Meditation Depression |
| Keywords | Chronic pain Low back pain Psychosomatic disorders |
| Key findings | Meditation produced a small but significant reduction in pain intensity and improvement in physical quality of life at post-treatment, but effects were not sustained at follow-up. |
Abstract
Low back pain (LBP) is a common biopsychosocial health problem. Meditation may provide a complementary treatment option for LBP patients. The aim of this systematic review with meta-analysis was to examine the effects of meditation on pain intensity, functional disability, quality of life, and depression in LBP populations. This systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA Guidelines. PubMed, Web of Science, CENTRAL, CamQuest and PubPsych were searched up to a publication date of June 2020. Inclusion criteria were RCTs or non-RCTs with LBP patients, aged at least 18 years, the application of a specific meditation technique, and pain intensity and/or functional disability as outcomes. Pooled SMDs were calculated at post-treatment and follow up. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool was used to estimate risk of bias. The overall quality of evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. 12 studies with a total of 1005 participants were included in this review. Compared to controls, meditation solely showed a significant positive effect on pain intensity (SMD = -0.27 [CI -0.43; -0.11]; p = 0.001; based on 10 studies with 934 participants) and physical quality of life (SMD = 0.21 [CI 0.07; 0.36]; p = 0.005; based on 5 studies with 756 participants) at post-treatment. At follow up (mean 20 weeks, range 4-52) there were no significant effects anymore. The quality of the evidence was moderate due to study limitations and imprecision. Meditation seems to be promising with regard to reducing short-term pain intensity in patients with LBP. However, additional well-designed and large trials are required in order to draw more reliable conclusions.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on depression, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Dynamic processes of mindfulness-based alterations in pain perception. Frontiers in Neuroscience 2023
- Novel approaches for drug development against chronic primary pain: A systematic review. British Journal of Pharmacology November 14, 2025
- Pain, mindfulness, and placebo: a systematic review. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience 2024
- Integrating Immersive Virtual Reality Meditation into Palliative Oncology: A Randomized Trial Protocol for Evaluating Pain Relief and Quality of Life Healthcare January 21, 2026
- Mindfulness Components and Their Clinical Efficacy: A Critical Review of an Ongoing Debate. Healthcare January 13, 2026
and 1 more in the library
Cites 17
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Mindfulness meditation for the treatment of chronic low back pain in older adults: A randomized controlled pilot study ☆ Pain June 4, 2007
- A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Mindfulness Meditation, Cognitive Therapy, and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Chronic Low Back Pain Pain Medicine November 1, 2019
- Does mindfulness meditation improve chronic pain? A systematic review Current Opinion in Obstetrics & Gynecology December 1, 2017
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program on Chronic Low-Back Pain: A Study Investigating the Impact on Endocrine, Physical, and Psychologic Functioning. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine August 2017
and 12 more in the library