A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Mindfulness Meditation, Cognitive Therapy, and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Chronic Low Back Pain
Melissa A Day, L Charles Ward, Dawn M Ehde, Beverly E Thorn, John W Burns, Amanda J. Barnier, Jason B. Mattingley, Mark P Jensen
Pain Medicine November 1, 2019 DOI: 10.1093/pm/pny273 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot, assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 69 |
| Population | Adults with chronic low back pain |
| Interventions | Mindfulness meditation Cognitive therapy Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy |
| Duration | Post-treatment, with 3- and 6-month follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | All three treatments produced large post-treatment improvements in pain interference, pain intensity, physical function, and depression, with no between-group differences. At follow-up, MBCT showed significantly greater improvements than MM on pain interference, physical function, and depression, and CT outperformed MM on physical function. |
Abstract
AbstractObjectiveThis pilot trial compared the feasibility, tolerability, acceptability, and effects of group-delivered mindfulness meditation (MM), cognitive therapy (CT), and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for chronic low back pain (CLBP).SettingUniversity of Queensland Psychology Clinic.SubjectsParticipants were N = 69 (intent-to-treat [ITT] sample) adults with CLBP.DesignA pilot, assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial.MethodsParticipants were randomized to treatments. The primary outcome was pain interference; secondary outcomes were pain intensity, physical function, depression, and opioid medication use. The primary study end point was post-treatment; maintenance of gains was evaluated at three- and six-month follow-up.ResultsRatings of acceptability, and ratios of dropout and attendance showed that MBCT was acceptable, feasible, and well tolerated, with similar results found across conditions. For the ITT sample, large improvements in post-treatment scores for pain interference, pain intensity, physical function, and depression were found (P < 0.001), with no significant between-group differences. Analysis of the follow-up data (N = 43), however, revealed that MBCT participants improved significantly more than MM participants on pain interference, physical function, and depression. The CT group improved more than MM in physical function. The MBCT and CT groups did not differ significantly on any measures.ConclusionsThis is the first study to examine MBCT for CLBP management. The findings show that MBCT is a feasible, tolerable, acceptable, and potentially efficacious treatment option for CLBP. Further, MBCT, and possibly CT, could have sustained benefits that exceed MM on some important CLBP outcomes. A future definitive randomized controlled trial is needed to evaluate these treatments and their differences.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 29
- Mindfulness-based Interventions for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Clinical Journal of Pain February 1, 2024
- Are Formal and Informal Home Mindfulness Practice Quantities Associated With Outcomes? Results From a Pilot Study of a Four-Week Mindfulness Intervention for Chronic Pain Management. Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health 2024
- The effects of telehealth-delivered mindfulness meditation, cognitive therapy, and behavioral activation for chronic low back pain: a randomized clinical trial. BMC Medicine April 12, 2024
- Enhancing Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Management: A Systematic Review of Mindfulness Therapies and Guided Imagery Interventions. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) April 23, 2024
- Development and Initial Validation of Mindfulness-Based Pain Reduction (MBPR) in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain. Journal of Pain Research 2025
and 24 more in the library
Cites 10
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression August 21, 2006
- Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica April 28, 2011
- Mindfulness meditation for the treatment of chronic low back pain in older adults: A randomized controlled pilot study ☆ Pain June 4, 2007
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Treating Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Annals of Internal Medicine June 6, 2017
- Acceptance- and mindfulness-based interventions for the treatment of chronic pain: a meta-analytic review Cognitive Behaviour Therapy January 2, 2016
and 5 more in the library