A new article, published in the peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary journal Pain Practice, presents the results of 50 qualitative interviews conducted and analyzed by UWSC Senior Project Directors Bob Cradock and Ken Croes. The interviews were part of a PCORI-funded, multi-site, quantitative study of the effectiveness of mindfulness-based therapy (MBT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for the management of chronic low back pain (CLBP). The study, called Strategies to Assist with Management of Pain (STAMP), enrolled 770 adults across three sites – the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the University of Utah, and Harvard Medical School – and randomly assigned them to 8 sessions of instruction in either MBT or CBT. In quantitative measures, STAMP found reductions in back pain and opioid dosage and increases in quality of life and daily function for both MBT- and CBT-trained groups. In qualitative interviews conducted by the UWSC, STAMP participants described how they applied MBT and CBT in their daily lives and how the study interventions helped them reduce and manage their back pain and reduce their use of opioid medication. The qualitative interviews added depth and nuance to the quantitative findings. The STAMP study adds important new evidence about the effectiveness of the non-opioid treatment options MBT and CBT for the estimated 1 out of 8 adults in the US population who live with chronic low back pain.
Read the article: https://doi.org/10.1111/papr.70209.