Low back pain may be alleviated by mindfulness-based stress reduction

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) may be an effective treatment for chronic low back pain, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study, conducted by researchers from the Group Health Research Institute and the University of Washington, aimed to evaluate the effectiveness for chronic low back pain of MBSR, compared with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or usual care.

More than 340 adults, aged 20 to 70 years old, with low back pain took part in a randomised, interviewer-blind, clinical trial, where they were randomly assigned to receive either MBSR, CBT or usual care.

Treatments with MBSR and CBT were both found to be equally effective, resulting in greater improvement in back pain and functional limitations at 26 weeks, when compared with usual care.

Read more about the study here

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