Mindfulness-Based Group Medical Visits for Persons With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Back pain is among the most common, disabling, and costly conditions managed in primary care in the US, but current treatment options often do not provide adequate relief. Mindfulness-based interventions have demonstrated effectiveness in individuals with chronic low back pain (CLBP); however, mindfulness remains underused in part because it is not integrated into most outpatient care models.

To assess whether persons with CLBP participating in a mindfulness group medical visit intervention experience significantly improved pain intensity and interference compared with those receiving usual care.

This randomized clinical trial, Optimizing Pain Treatment in Medical Settings Using Mindfulness (OPTIMUM), using a pragmatic approach (designed to evaluate interventions under typical conditions of care) was conducted from May 7, 2021, to November 6, 2024. Adults with CLBP attending primary care clinics in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina were included.

Participants were randomized 1:1 to the OPTIMUM intervention, an 8-week telehealth-delivered mindfulness group medical visit program delivered as part of primary care (intervention), or usual care (controls).

The primary analysis assessed the between-group difference in the primary outcome of change from baseline to month 6 in the Pain, Enjoyment of Life and General Activity (PEG) scale score. A mean minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in PEG score of at least 1 was considered. Secondary analyses evaluated the between-group differences in change from baseline to week 8 and month 12 in PEG score.

Of 451 participants (mean [SD], 52.1 [14.7] years; 318 [70.5%] female), 224 were randomized to the intervention group and 227 to the control group. All reported moderate pain interference at baseline. In intention-to-treat analyses, the intervention participants had a statistically significant improvement in PEG score from baseline compared with controls at the 6-month primary time point (mean change, -1.21 [95% CI, -1.50 to -0.92] vs -0.59 [95% CI, -0.86 to -0.31]; between-group difference, -0.62 [95% CI, -1.02 to -0.23]; P = .002) and at 8 weeks (mean change, -1.16 [95% CI, -1.44 to -0.88] vs -0.27 [95% CI, -0.53 to -0.003]; between-group difference, -0.89 [95% CI, -1.27 to -0.51]; P < .001) and 12 months (mean change, -1.52 [95% CI, -1.81 to -1.23] vs -0.78 [95% CI, -1.05 to -0.50]; between-group difference, -0.74 [95% CI, -1.14 to -0.34]; P < .001). The MCID was not met at any time point.

In this randomized clinical trial, a telehealth-delivered mindfulness group medical visit program for persons with CLBP resulted in significant improvements in pain intensity and interference compared with usual care; however, these changes did not meet the prespecified mean 1-point MCID between groups. The program incorporated primary care clinicians, was accessible, and is potentially scalable as a nonpharmacologic treatment for CLBP.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04129450.