Meditation May Offer Modest Short-Term Relief for Low Back Pain

Research details

The review included 12 controlled studies with 1,005 adults who had low back pain.

Meditation was linked with a small, statistically significant reduction in pain intensity in the short term.

Participants reported a small improvement in physical quality of life after meditation.

The benefits were not statistically significant at follow-up, which averaged about 20 weeks.

The researchers rated the overall evidence as moderate and said larger, better-designed studies are needed.

Teaser

A review of 12 studies found lower pain and slightly better physical quality of life soon after meditation, but longer-term benefits were uncertain.

Source Title

Effects of meditation on pain intensity, physical function, quality of life and depression in adults with low back pain: A systematic review with meta-analysis

Plain Summary

A 2023 systematic review examined whether meditation could help adults living with low back pain. The researchers combined results from 12 controlled studies involving 1,005 participants. The studies included both randomized and non-randomized designs, so the strength of the evidence was not the same as it would be from randomized trials alone.

Compared with control conditions, meditation was associated with a statistically significant reduction in pain intensity in the short term. This result came from 10 studies involving 934 people. The size of the average benefit was small, suggesting that meditation may ease pain for some adults, but is unlikely to make pain disappear. The review did not establish that meditation cures low back pain.

The researchers also found a small improvement in physical quality of life across five studies involving 756 participants. In everyday terms, this means participants reported some improvement in the physical side of their quality of life after meditation, although the change was modest.

The review looked at physical functioning and depression as well as pain and quality of life, but the supplied findings do not report specific results for those outcomes. It is therefore important not to assume that meditation improved them.

The short-term findings did not remain statistically significant when participants were assessed later. The follow-up period averaged about 20 weeks. This means the review could not show that the benefits continued over the longer term.

Overall, the researchers rated the evidence as moderate. They described meditation as promising for reducing short-term pain, while also calling for larger and better-designed studies. Because the review included different types of controlled studies, and because results can vary between individuals, these findings show a possible modest benefit rather than a guarantee. Meditation may be considered alongside appropriate care for low back pain, but this research does not establish it as a replacement for professional medical advice or treatment.

Practical Takeaway

For adults with low back pain, this review suggests that meditation may provide a modest reduction in pain and a small improvement in physical quality of life in the short term. The findings do not show that meditation cures low back pain, and they do not confirm lasting benefits several months later. The evidence was judged moderate, with further research needed. In everyday terms, meditation may be a useful supportive option for some people, but expectations should remain realistic and it should not be treated as a guaranteed solution or a substitute for appropriate care.