Not Just Mind Over Matter: Reviewing With Patients How Mindfulness Relieves Chronic Low Back Pain

The current opioid crisis has spurred the need for nonpharmacological therapies for chronic low back pain. In a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, we reported that in 282 older adults with chronic low back pain, an 8-week mind-body group program modeled on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) decreased long-term pain and increased short-term function. Barriers to uptake remain such as patient resistance to accepting the benefits of...