Investigating the long-term impact of a programme of mindfulness combined with exercise delivered online (MOVE) on individuals living with chronic pain-an exploratory one-year follow-up of a feasibility randomised control trial.
Orla Deegan, Mai Yoshitani, Brona M Fullen, Maria Gordon, Orla McDonagh, Orlaith Sheerin, Jane Murphy, Oreluwa Oyebode, Ricardo Segurado, Conor Hearty, Maire Brid Casey, Catherine Doody
PLoS One September 30, 2025 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0323508 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Exploratory one-year follow-up of a parallel group feasibility randomised controlled trial Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 96 |
| Population | Individuals living with chronic pain |
| Intervention | online self-management guide |
| Duration | Eight-week intervention with one-year follow-up |
| Measures | Patients Global Impression of Change Scale |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Treatment outcome Exercise therapy Follow-up studies Feasibility studies Quality of life Adult Middle aged Female Pain management Chronic pain Self-management |
| Key findings | At one-year follow-up, the authors report no significant between-group differences on the investigated patient-reported outcomes. Small differences in depression and the mental health component of health-related quality of life favoured the combined MBSR and exercise group, while nine other measures favoured the self-management group; within-group trends toward improvement appeared for 10 of 14 measures in the MOVE group and 13 of 14 in the self-management group. |
Abstract
Background: Online pain management programmes have evidence as effective interventions for individuals with chronic pain. This study was a one-year exploratory follow-up of a parallel group feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT) investigating the effectiveness of participating in an online pain management programme that combined Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and exercise delivered online for individuals living with chronic pain (MOVE).
Methods: Ninety-six individuals with chronic pain participated in an eight-week feasibility RCT comparing MBSR and exercise to an online self-management guide. Fourteen patient reported outcome measures (PROMS) were collected at baseline, post-intervention, three months post-intervention and at a one-year follow-up. Analysis of changes in PROMs between baseline and one-year follow-up in the current study were analysed using Student's t-tests, and in addition, data were analysed using linear mixed models, examining effect sizes.
Results: Forty-eight participants completed PROMs at a one-year follow-up. Small between group differences were observed in depression and the mental health component of the health-related quality of life score, in favour of the combined MBSR and exercise group. A further nine PROMS showed improvements in favour of the self-management group (SM). In the MOVE group, one-year follow-up scores demonstrated trends towards improvement compared to baseline scores for 10/14 PROMs. In the SM group positive changes were found in 13/14 PROMs. At one-year follow-up, results from the Patients Global Impression of Change Scale, demonstrated that 63.3% of participants in the combined mindfulness and exercise group, and 44.4% of participants in the self-management group reported improvement with a noticeable change.
Conclusions: The results of this long-term exploratory study suggest no significant difference between groups for the investigated PROMs at one-year follow-up. A fully powered RCT examining the effectiveness of MBSR combined with exercise delivered in a live synchronous online format is warranted, to explore the factors to optimise long-term outcomes for people living with chronic pain.
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
Cites 6
- Standardised Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Healthcare: An Overview of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of RCTs PLoS One April 16, 2015
- Mindfulness Combined With Exercise Online (MOVE) Compared With a Self-management Guide for Adults With Chronic Pain: A Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial. Clinical Journal of Pain August 1, 2023
- Effects of Mindfulness Training and Exercise on Cognitive Function in Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA December 13, 2022
- Effectiveness of Mindfulness- and Relaxation-Based eHealth Interventions for Patients with Medical Conditions: a Systematic Review and Synthesis. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine February 2018
- The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Therapy on Anxiety and Depression: A Meta-Analytic Review Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology April 1, 2010
and 1 more in the library