Meditation-Based Therapy for Chronic Low Back Pain Management: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Ting-Han Lin, Ka-Wai Tam, Yu-Ling Yang, Tsan-Hon Liou, Tzu-Herng Hsu, Chi-Lun Rau
Pain Medicine September 30, 2022 DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnac037 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,153 |
| Population | Adults with chronic low back pain |
| Intervention | meditation-based therapies |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Low back pain |
| Key findings | Meditation-based therapies significantly reduced pain intensity and bothersomeness and improved quality of life compared with nonmeditation therapies in adults with chronic low back pain. |
Abstract
Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is among the most common types of pain in adults. Currently, injections and analgesic and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are often provided for patients with CLBP. However, their effectiveness remains questionable, and the safest approach to CLBP remains debated. Meditation-based therapies constitute an alternative treatment with high potential for widespread availability. We evaluated the applicability of meditation-based therapies for CLBP management. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to evaluate the efficacy of meditation-based therapies for CLBP management. The primary outcomes were pain intensity, quality of life, and pain-related disability; the secondary outcomes were the experienced distress or anxiety and pain bothersomeness in the patients. The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for studies published from the databases' inception dates until July 2021, without language restrictions. We reviewed 12 randomized controlled trials with 1,153 patients. In 10 trials, meditation-based therapies significantly reduced the CLBP pain intensity compared with nonmeditation therapies (standardized mean difference [SMD] -0.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.43 to -0.12, P = 0.0006). In seven trials, meditation-based therapies also significantly reduced CLBP bothersomeness compared with nonmeditation therapies (SMD -0.21, 95% CI = -0.34 to -0.08, P = 0.002). In three trials, meditation-based therapies significantly improved patient quality of life compared with nonmeditation therapies (SMD 0.27, 95% CI = 0.17 to 0.37, P < 0.00001). In conclusion, meditation-based therapies constitute a safe and effective alternative approach to CLBP management.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 13
- Mindfulness or meditation therapy for Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. European Journal of Neurology August 1, 2023
- Effects of an 8-Week Mindfulness Course in People With Voice Disorders. Journal of voice : official journal of the Voice Foundation March 1, 2026
- Effects of Mindfulness Based Interventions in Adults and Older Adults Caregivers of Patients with Early Stage Alzheimer's Disease: A Randomized Pilot Study. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 2024
- fMRI-based explanations for how meditation could modulate pain processing. Frontiers in Neuroscience 2025
- “Pain doesn’t control my life, I control it” – a qualitative investigation of the experiences of individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain participating in a mindfulness-based stress reduction program Disability and Rehabilitation August 26, 2026
and 8 more in the library
Cites 30
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and 25 more in the library