Mindfulness Online and Virtual Exercise (MOVE) Compared With Self-Management for Chronic Pain

This study is a parallel-groups, randomised-controlled, feasibility trial. Seventy-five participants aged 18 years and over, who have been diagnosed with a chronic pain condition by a Consultant in Pain Medicine or a General Practitioner will be recruited to the feasibility study. Participants will be individually randomised to one of two interventions. Group A will take part in live online weekly mindfulness sessions based on the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme facilitated by a qualified mindfulness teacher, in addition to supervised exercise classes led by a Physiotherapist. The combined 3 hour intervention (2 hours MBSR, 1 hour exercise) will take place one day per week for 8 weeks. Group B will receive access to an 8 week online self-management guide containing 8 self-directed guides, with the material released biweekly. The key outcomes measures will include; (1) recruitment rates, eligibility rates, willingness to be randomised; (2) feasibility and acceptability of data collection instruments and procedures; (3) intervention adherence, engagement and attrition rates; (4) feasibility and acceptability of the interventions and; (5) participants' subjective perceptions of the programmes. The study will also include a preliminary examination of between group clinical effects at baseline, immediately post intervention and at a three month follow up, using the following validated patient reported outcome measures; Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, Brief Pain Inventory, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Generalised Anxiety Depression Assessment, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Pain Disability Index, Fear Avoidance Belief Questionnaire, Short-Form-36 Health Survey, Patient Global Impression of Change Scale and measure of treatment satisfaction adapted from the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8). Physical activity levels (average daily step count, distance travelled and active minutes) will be measured for all participants using Fitbit Charge 4 activity monitors for the duration of the eight-week intervention period. Analyses of the feasibility study will primarily be descriptive and will address the outcomes relating to the feasibility and acceptability of the interventions and the procedures of the study. Between-group comparisons of clinical treatment effects will be descriptive and exploratory to consider the viability of the combined MBSR and exercise intervention that may warrant further exploration in a fully powered RCT. A sample of participants will be invited to attend focus groups where semi-structured interviews will be conducted with the aim of gathering information on the participants' subjective perceptions of the programme and its usefulness.