Efficacy of Spinal Manipulation Therapy or Mindfulness-based Reduction Therapy on Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain

Chronic Pain Management (CPM) has increasingly utilized long-term opioid analgesic therapy, a change associated with increased opioid abuse (a greater exposure in vulnerable individuals), non-pain health consequences (hormone changes, falls), and a dramatic rise in opioid-related overdoses and deaths. Treatment strategies that minimize the need for chronic high-dose opioids are sorely needed. This project will aim to test what degree mindfulness therapy (MT) and spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) produce pre- to mid- to post-treatment changes in endogenous opioid (EO) function.