Mindfulness Group Visits for Chronic Low Back Pain in Primary Care - The OPTIMUM Pragmatic Clinical Trial

Q: What intervention does the OPTIMUM trial evaluate for chronic low back pain?

It evaluates an 8-session, telehealth-delivered group mindfulness program based on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Sessions are led by an experienced MBSR instructor and co-led by a primary care provider who participates and briefly meets participants.

Q: How was the study designed and who participated?

In a pragmatic trial, 451 adults with chronic low back pain were randomized to the mindfulness intervention or usual medical care across three sites in primary care settings.

Q: What outcomes were measured and what was the primary outcome?

Participants completed measures of physical and psychological function, medications, and healthcare utilization at baseline, week 8, and 6 and 12 months. The primary outcome was the PEG, which includes pain intensity, enjoyment, and general activity.

Sep 29, 2026

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A telehealth-delivered group mindfulness program for primary care patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP) is developed and evaluated against usual care. The OPTIMUM pragmatic clinical trial describes study methods and presents baseline characteristics, intervention acceptability, and retention across three sites. An 8-session Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program is led by an experienced instructor and co-led by a participating primary care provider. Among 451 randomized adults, participants completed outcomes at baseline, week 8, and 6 and 12 months, with the PEG pain/intensity and activity measure as the primary outcome. Retention reached 89% at 12 months.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Intervention Overview

Trial Design and Participants

Outcomes and Follow-up

Results and Clinical Implications

Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 621 telehealth-delivered group mindfulness program for primary care patients with cLBP to usual care. Here we describe the methods of this investigation, and report on baseline sample characteristics, intervention acceptability, and retention. The intervention is an 8-session program based upon MindfulnessBased Stress Reduction (MBSR) led by an experienced MBSR instructor and co-led by a primary care provider who participated in sessions and met briefly with each participant. 451 adults with cLBP were randomized to the intervention or to usual medical care, across three sites. The primary outcome was the PEG (Pain intensity, Enjoyment, General Activity) . Participants also completed measures of physical and psychological function, medications, and healthcare utilization, at baseline, week-8, and 6- and 12-months. Participants’ mean age=52.1 years (SD 14.7), 315 (70%) female, 176 (39%) are Black, 202 (45%) White, 253 (56%) not employed, 140 (31%) income < $25,000, 332 (74%) have pain ≥ 5 years duration. Participants’ pain intensity/pain interference was moderate at baseline, with PEG score=6 (SD 2.4) . Retention was 89% at 12-month follow-up. OPTIMUM successfully enrolled and retained primary care patients with cLBP into a telehealth group mindfulness program. The program holds promise for integration into routine primary care medicine. Abstract citation ID: igaf122.2126 MINDFULNESS GROUP VISITS FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN IN PRIMARY CARE: THE OPTIMUM PRAGMATIC CLINICAL TRIAL Natalia Morone1, Tra Nguyen2, Keturah Faurot3, Susan Gaylord3, Kathleen McTigue4, Kristina Astone5, Janice Weinberg5, and Carol Greco4, 1. Boston UniversityBoston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 2. Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 3. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, 4. University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 5. Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States Mindfulness is recommended as a first-line non-pharmacologic treatment for chronic low back pain (cLBP) . However, accessibility is challenging. The OPTIMUM trial (Optimizing Pain Treatment In Medical settings Using Mindfulness) compared a

FAQs

What intervention does the OPTIMUM trial evaluate for chronic low back pain?

It evaluates an 8-session, telehealth-delivered group mindfulness program based on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Sessions are led by an experienced MBSR instructor and co-led by a primary care provider who participates and briefly meets participants.

How was the study designed and who participated?

In a pragmatic trial, 451 adults with chronic low back pain were randomized to the mindfulness intervention or usual medical care across three sites in primary care settings.

What outcomes were measured and what was the primary outcome?

Participants completed measures of physical and psychological function, medications, and healthcare utilization at baseline, week 8, and 6 and 12 months. The primary outcome was the PEG, which includes pain intensity, enjoyment, and general activity.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Aria