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Group sessions of either mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) or cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) provide cost-effective treatment for chronic low-back pain, according to new research supported by NCCIH and published in the journal Spine. In addition, MBSR may offer substantial cost savings compared to usual care. Previous studies suggested that both MBSR and CBT may be effective for treating back pain, but the economic benefits of these interventions have been unclear.
Researchers from the RAND Corporation, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, and the University of Washington, Seattle, randomly assigned 342 adults with chronic low-back pain in an integrated health care system to receive MBSR and usual care, CBT and usual care, or usual care alone. MBSR and CBT were provided in weekly 2-hour group sessions for 8 weeks.
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