Meditation and Exercise to Treat Chronic Back Pain

NCT ID: NCT03324659

Last Updated: 2021-04-05

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

42 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2018-01-26

Study Completion Date

2019-06-30

Brief Summary

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This study evaluates the analgesic effect of a combination treatment of exercise and mindfulness based meditation in patients with chronic back pain. Half of the participants will partake in a 4-week exercise and meditation intervention, while the other half will receive a placebo treatment. The investigators hypothesize that a combination treatment reduces disability and pain more than the control intervention.

Detailed Description

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Exercise and mindfulness based mediation can both produce analgesic effects in patients with chronic pain, but the mechanisms are not clear.

Combining treatments could produce analgesic effects that are additive, synergistic, or counteractive to each other. Here, the investigators examine the effects of a 4-week intervention in patients with chronic low back pain. Patients are assigned to a meditation/exercise group or a control group. The investigators will measure pain and disability using a variety of tools including surveys (disability, anxiety, mindfulness, and pain), pain VAS scales, and quantitative sensory testing.

Conditions

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Chronic Low Back Pain

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Exercise and Meditation

The Exercise and Meditation group will practice mindfulness meditation immediately before walking treadmill exercise, five days per week for four weeks.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Exercise and Meditation

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The Exercise and Meditation group will listen to recorded meditations (15 minutes) that are based on mindfulness. They will then walk on a treadmill for 30 minutes at a moderate intensity. The intervention is completed five days per week for four weeks.

Control

The Control group will listen to an audio book followed by quiet rest, five days per week for four weeks.

Group Type SHAM_COMPARATOR

Control

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The Control group will listen to a recorded audio book for 15 minutes, They will then sit quietly for 30 minutes. The intervention is completed five days per week for four weeks.

Interventions

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Exercise and Meditation

The Exercise and Meditation group will listen to recorded meditations (15 minutes) that are based on mindfulness. They will then walk on a treadmill for 30 minutes at a moderate intensity. The intervention is completed five days per week for four weeks.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Control

The Control group will listen to a recorded audio book for 15 minutes, They will then sit quietly for 30 minutes. The intervention is completed five days per week for four weeks.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. Presence of clinically diagnosed nonspecific low back pain for at least 6 months
2. Body mass index within the normal to overweight range (18.5-29.9)
3. Resting heart rate 60 to 100 beats per minute
4. Resting blood pressure less than or equal to 140/90
5. Able to independently ambulate community distances without external support (e.g., walker, cane)

Exclusion Criteria

6. Age less than 18 or greater than 60 years
7. BMI ≥ 30 or ≤ 18.4
8. Cardiovascular or respiratory disease
9. Neurological disease, unrelated to low back pain
10. Radicular low back pain
11. Back pain associated with neuropathy
12. Diabetes mellitus, Types 1 and 2
13. Diagnosed with a chronic pain condition, unrelated to low back pain
14. Acute pain
15. Regular participation in high intensity athletic/sporting activities
16. Sedentary lifestyle
17. Currently pregnant
18. Current cigarette smoker
19. On-going litigation associated with back pain
20. Inability to walk independently without external support (e.g. walker).
21. Regular participation in meditation techniques or training in Mindfulness-based stress reduction
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

60 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University of Pittsburgh

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Duquesne University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Matthew Kostek

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Matthew C. Kostek, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Duquesne University

Benedict J Kolber, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Duquesne University

Eric Helm, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Pittsburgh

Locations

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Duquesne University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Study Protocol

View Document

Document Type: Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Other Identifiers

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Protocol50

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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