Overview
This pilot randomized controlled trial aims to recruit 66 community-dwelling older adults with chronic low back pain and follow up them for 8 weeks. This study aims to test the preliminary effect of a mindfulness-based meditation (MBM) intervention on pain and symptoms among community-dwelling older adults with chronic low back pain, and also to test the effect of the MBM intervention on the host Gut-Brain Axis (GBA).
Description
Aim 1: to test the preliminary effect of a mindfulness-based meditation (MBM) intervention on pain and symptoms among community-dwelling older adults with chronic low back pain.
Hypothesis: We hypothesize that our active mindfulness-based meditation intervention will be feasible and acceptable to community-dwelling older adults with chronic low back pain and improve pain and symptoms to a greater extent than older adults randomized to a sham mindfulness-based meditation group.
Aim 2: to test the effect of the mindfulness-based meditation intervention on the host Gut-Brain Axis (GBA).
Hypothesis: We hypothesize that older adults randomized to the active mindfulness-based meditation intervention will have significantly improved compositional patterns and functional profiles of gut microbiota and increased pain-related cortical response measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to a greater extent than older adults randomized to the sham mindfulness-based meditation group at 2-weeks post-intervention, and 8-weeks follow up.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- aged 50 years older
- intact cognition (examined by the Mini-Mental State Exam, ≥ 24)
- experiencing moderate low back pain daily or almost every day at least the previous three months (≥3 out of 10 on numeric rating scale [NRS])
- able to speak and read English
- not intent to change medication regimens for pain throughout the trial
Exclusion Criteria:
- serious underlying illness (e.g., malignant neoplasms, bloodborne illness, low blood platelet count, been in chemotherapy)
- other concurrent chronic pain conditions (e.g., arthritis, headache, irritable bowel syndrome)
- psychosis
- inflammatory or malabsorptive intestinal diseases
- function limitation precluded the meditation practice
- participated meditation program before
- no access to the internet