Chronic Low-back Pain (cLBP), Mindfulness Meditation, Non-specific Chronic Low Back Pain
Conditions
Brief summary
This study evaluated whether a mindfulness-based therapy program could reduce pain severity in office workers with non-specific chronic low back pain. The study included staff members of Dokuz Eylul University aged 20 to 59 years who had low back pain for at least three months and worked at a desk for more than four hours per day. Participants were randomly assigned to either a mindfulness-based therapy group or a control group. The mindfulness-based therapy group attended online group sessions once a week for four weeks. The sessions included breathing awareness meditation, body scan meditation, self-compassion meditation, and chair yoga practices. Participants in the control group continued their usual medical care during the study period. The primary outcome of the study was pain severity, assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale. Secondary outcomes included physical activity level, disability related to low back pain, anxiety symptoms, quality of life, and mindfulness level. Participants were evaluated at baseline, Week 4 (end of intervention), Week 16 (3-month follow-up), and Week 28 (6-month follow-up).
Interventions
BEHAVIORALMindfulness-Based Therapy Program
The intervention was a four-week online mindfulness-based therapy program delivered in small groups of approximately 8-10 participants. Participants attended one 60-90-minute online group session per week. The program included breathing awareness meditation, body scan meditation, self-compassion meditation, and chair yoga practices adapted for office workers with non-specific chronic low back pain. Each session included a brief theoretical introduction, guided practice, participant reflection, and a question-and-answer section. Participants were encouraged to practise breathing awareness and body scan exercises at home for 10-15 minutes daily and to record their practice, thoughts, and emotions using a mindfulness practice log.
Sponsors
Dokuz Eylul University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either a four-week online mindfulness-based therapy group or a control group receiving usual medical care. The intervention group attended weekly online group sessions including breathing awareness meditation, body scan meditation, self-compassion meditation, and chair yoga practices.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
20 Years to 59 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Staff member of Dokuz Eylül University * Aged between 20 and 59 years * Willing to participate in the study * Having low back pain for at least 3 months * Working at a desk for more than 4 hours per day * Having access to an internet connection at home or at work * Having a computer and/or smartphone suitable for participating in online sessions and completing online forms
Exclusion criteria
* Presence of an organic condition that could explain low back pain, such as lumbar disc herniation * Presence of an underlying rheumatological disease, such as ankylosing spondylitis or rheumatoid arthritis * Diagnosed psychiatric disorder * Alcohol or substance dependence * Current use of psychiatric medication * Pregnancy * Speech or hearing problems that could interfere with participation
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change From Baseline in Pain Severity on the Visual Analogue Scale | Baseline, Week 4 (end of intervention), Week 16 (3-month follow-up), and Week 28 (6-month follow-up) | Pain severity was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), a 0-100 scale in which higher scores indicate greater pain severity. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change From Baseline in Physical Activity Level on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form | Baseline, Week 4 (end of intervention), Week 16 (3-month follow-up), and Week 28 (6-month follow-up) | Physical activity level was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF). The questionnaire assesses walking, moderate-intensity activity, vigorous-intensity activity, and sitting time during the previous 7 days. Physical activity is reported as metabolic equivalent task minutes per week (MET-min/week). Higher MET-min/week values indicate higher physical activity levels. |
| Change From Baseline in Low Back Pain-Related Disability on the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire | Baseline, Week 4 (end of intervention), Week 16 (3-month follow-up), and Week 28 (6-month follow-up) | Low back pain-related functional disability was assessed using the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ). The questionnaire includes 24 items scored as 0 or 1, resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 24. Higher scores indicate greater functional disability. |
| Change From Baseline in Health-Related Quality of Life on the Short Form-36 Health Survey | Baseline, Week 4 (end of intervention), Week 16 (3-month follow-up), and Week 28 (6-month follow-up) | Health-related quality of life was assessed using the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36). The SF-36 evaluates multiple domains of health-related quality of life. Domain scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better health status. |
| Change From Baseline in Anxiety Symptoms on the Beck Anxiety Inventory | Baseline, Week 4 (end of intervention), Week 16 (3-month follow-up), and Week 28 (6-month follow-up) | Anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). The scale includes 21 items, each scored from 0 to 3, resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 63. Higher scores indicate greater anxiety symptom severity. |
| Change From Baseline in Mindfulness Level on the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire Short Form | Baseline, Week 4 (end of intervention), Week 16 (3-month follow-up), and Week 28 (6-month follow-up) | Mindfulness level was assessed using the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire Short Form (FFMQ-SF). The questionnaire evaluates five facets of mindfulness: observing, describing, acting with awareness, non-judging of inner experience, and non-reactivity to inner experience. Higher scores indicate higher mindfulness levels. |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Outcome results
None listed