NYMC Faculty Publications

A Tai Chi and Qigong Mind-Body Program for Low Back Pain: A Virtually Delivered Randomized Control Trial

Author Type(s)

Student, Faculty

DOI

10.1016/j.xnsj.2024.100557

Journal Title

North American Spine Society Journal

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-1-2024

Department

Public Health

Keywords

Back pain, Meditation, Mind-body, Nonpharmacological intervention, Qigong, Randomized controlled trial, Tai chi, Telerehabilitation

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

Abstract

Background: Mind-body treatments have the potential to manage pain, yet their effectiveness when delivered online for the treatment of low back pain (LBP) is unknown. We sought to evaluate whether a virtually delivered mind-body program integrating tai chi, qigong, and meditation (VDTQM) is effective for treating LBP. Methods: This randomized controlled trial compared VDTQM (n=175) to waitlist control (n=175). Eligible participants were at least 18 years old, had LBP for at least 6 weeks, were not pregnant, had not previously taken tai chi classes, and had not undergone spine surgery within 6 months. The treatment group received a 12-week VDTQM program in live online 60-minute twice-weekly group classes from September 2022 to December 2022. All participants continued their usual activities and care. Primary outcome was pain-related disability assessed by the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score. Secondary outcomes included pain intensity, sleep quality, and quality of life (QOL). Intent-to-treat analyses were conducted. Results: Of the 350 participants 278 (79%) were female, mean age was 58.8 years (range: 21–92), 244 (69.7%) completed the 8-week survey, 248 (70.9%) the 12-week, and 238 (68%) the 16 -week. No participants withdrew due to adverse treatment effects. Compared with control group, treatment group experienced statistically and clinically significant improvement in ODI score by −4.7 (95% CI: −6.24 to −3.16, p<.01), −6.42 (95% CI: −7.96 to −4.88, p<.01), and −8.14 (95% CI: −9.68 to −6.59, p<.01) points at weeks 8, 12, and 16, respectively. Treatment group also experienced statistically significant improvement at all time points in the other outcomes. Conclusions: Among adults with LBP, VDTQM treatment resulted in small to moderate improvements in pain-related disability, pain intensity, sleep quality, and QOL. Improvements persisted 1 month after treatment concluded. These findings suggest VDTQM may be a viable treatment option for patients with LBP. Trial registration: clincaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT05801588.

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