Effects of Tailored Mindful Exercise on Back Pain, Balance, Kinesiophobia, Anxiety and Depression in Older Patients with Primary Osteoporosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Fang Fei Lyu, Vimala Ramoo, Ping Lei Chui, Ying Xuan Wang, Min Zhang, Ye Deng, Sheng Mao, Qian Yang, Li Rong Xia
Mindfulness August 28, 2025 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-025-02667-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Older patients with primary osteoporosis |
| Intervention | Mindful Exercise |
| Duration | 12-week intervention, 4-week post-intervention follow-up (16 weeks total) |
| Measures | Global Pain Scale (GPS), Timed Up and Go test (TUG), Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-Short Form (FFMQ-SF), Tampa Kinesiophobia-11 Scale (TSK-11), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression |
| Registration | NCT05606510 |
| Key findings | The tailored mindful exercise program significantly reduced pain severity, kinesiophobia, anxiety, and depression, and improved balance and mindfulness compared with usual care at 12 weeks, with effects persisting at 16 weeks. |
Abstract
Exercise has known benefits for bone, physical, and mental health. This study aimed to determine the effects of a tailored mindful exercise program on back pain, balance, kinesiophobia, mindfulness, anxiety, and depression in older patients with primary osteoporosis. A two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted in a hospital setting in Kunming, China. Eligible patients were recruited and randomized to either an intervention group (Mindful Exercise) or a control group (Usual Care). Outcomes—back pain (Global Pain Scale, GPS), balance (Timed Up and Go test, TUG), mindfulness (Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-Short Form, FFMQ-SF), kinesiophobia (Tampa Kinesiophobia-11 Scale, TSK-11), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, HADS) were assessed at baseline (pre-intervention), Week 4 (in-process), Week 8 (in-process), Week 12 (immediately post-intervention) and Week 16 (4 weeks post-intervention). Data were analyzed using the generalized estimating equation (GEE) model. Immediately post-intervention (Week 12), the intervention group showed statistically significant improvement in pain [B = -1.782, 95% CI (-2.128, -1.436), Cohen's d = -0.47] and feeling [B = -2.864, 95% CI (-3.228, -2.500), Cohen's d = -0.36] dimensions of the GPS, balance [B = -0.936, 95% CI (-1.611, -0.260), Cohen's d = -0.37], mindfulness [B = 4.293, 95% CI (3.506, 5.079), Cohen's d = 0.89], kinesiophobia [B = -3.863, 95% CI (-4.300, -3.425), Cohen's d = -0.40], anxiety [B = -1.774, 95% CI (-2.136, -1.411), Cohen's d = -0.43] and depression [B = -1.331, 95% CI (-1.581, -1.081), Cohen's d = -0.40] compared with the control group. The tailored mindful exercise program reduced pain severity and a wide array of psychological symptoms and improved mindfulness levels among older patients with primary osteoporosis. These significant improvements underscore the program’s potential as a valuable clinical intervention for this population. https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique Identifier: NCT05606510.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 2
- Improved quality of life and psychological symptoms following mindfulness and cognitive rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis and their mediating role for cognition: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Neurology July 1, 2024
- Change in brain oscillations as a mechanism of mindfulness-meditation, cognitive therapy, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for chronic low back pain. Pain Medicine February 9, 2021