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Completed

NCT Number: NCT07621302

Mindfulness-Based Therapy for Chronic Low Back Pain in Office Workers

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).

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Key information

Conditions

Non-specific Chronic Low Back Pain Chronic Low-back Pain (cLBP) Mindfulness Meditation

Age range

20 year–59 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Dokuz Eylül University

Izmir, Balçova, 35340, Turkey (Türkiye)

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

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

Treatment and study plan

Mindfulness-Based Therapy Program

Behavioral

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.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change From Baseline in Pain Severity on the Visual Analogue Scale

    Time frame: 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 outcomes

  1. Change From Baseline in Physical Activity Level on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form

    Time frame: 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.

  2. Change From Baseline in Low Back Pain-Related Disability on the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire

    Time frame: 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.

  3. Change From Baseline in Health-Related Quality of Life on the Short Form-36 Health Survey

    Time frame: 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.

  4. Change From Baseline in Anxiety Symptoms on the Beck Anxiety Inventory

    Time frame: 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.

  5. Change From Baseline in Mindfulness Level on the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire Short Form

    Time frame: 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.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Dokuz Eylul University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Therapies on Pain Severity in Office Workers With Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2022
Study completion
2023
First posted
Jun 2, 2026
Registry last updated
Jun 2, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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