Acceptance and Commitment Therapy plus exercise for older adults with chronic low-back pain
Official title: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Plus Exercise for Older People With Chronic Low-back Pain: A Pragmatic Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial
Run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University · NCT07211464 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial will test whether combining Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with exercise and back-care education helps people aged 60 and over manage chronic low-back pain.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 60 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 100 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Hong Kong) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | September 1, 2025 |
| Main results expected | August 31, 2028 |
| Study ends | August 31, 2028 |
| Registry record updated | October 8, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07211464 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are community-dwelling adults aged 60 or older with non-specific chronic low-back pain for at least 3 months, average pain ≥4/10, basic Chinese proficiency, MMSE ≥23, and who have sought healthcare for their back pain in the past year.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with malignant back pain, lumbar spinal stenosis, confirmed dementia or MMSE <23, severe psychiatric disorders, inability to attend in-person sessions, or insufficient Chinese language proficiency are unlikely to benefit from this program.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial delivers an ACT-based program combined with exercise and back-care education to older adults with chronic low-back pain at multiple community centres in Hong Kong. Community centres are randomized to provide the ACT-plus-exercise program or usual care/back-care education, with outcomes measured immediately after treatment and at 3 and 6 months. Primary outcomes include low-back-pain–related disability and health-related quality of life, with secondary outcomes of pain intensity and psychological flexibility. The study will also perform mediation analyses to examine whether changes in psychological flexibility explain improvements in disability and quality of life.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help older adults better self-manage chronic low-back pain, reducing disability and improving quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Small pilot studies and research of ACT for chronic pain have shown promising results, but large pragmatic cluster randomized trials specifically in older adults are limited.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * aged 60 or above * have had non-specific LBP in or near the lumbosacral spine, with or without leg pain, that lasts for at least 3 months in the last 12 months * Average pain intensity (in the past week) ≥ 4 on a scale of 0 to 10 * must have sought some healthcare professional treatments for CLBP in the last 12 months * have an adequate level of proficiency in Chinese * Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) scores: 23 or above Exclusion Criteria: * People with malignant pain or lumbar spinal stenosis, confirmed dementia, severe cognitive impairment, or serious psychiatric or psychological disorders that may hinder their study participation will be excluded * Individuals with Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) scores below 23
Where it's running
-
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hong Kong, Hong Kong Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Dr Arnold Wong Yu Lok
- Email: arnold.wong@polyu.edu.hk
- Phone: (852) 2766 6741
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
A novel multi angular isometric lumbar exercise for chronic low back pain
This trial tests MAILE, a new lumbar exercise method, to see if it helps adults with nonspecific chronic low back pain more than standard lumbar stabilization and core exercises.
-
Understanding brain activity in chronic low back pain with movement and biometric profiling
This observational study tests brain activity patterns in adults with chronic non-specific low back pain who have neural mechanosensitivity, using wearable OPM-MEG during rest and movement, and compares them to healthy controls.
-
BDNF Levels in Spine Pain Patients and Disc Degeneration
This observational study tests whether blood levels of BDNF relate to disc degeneration and inflammation in people with chronic low back pain.
-
Pain phenotypes in people with chronic low back pain
This study tests whether people with chronic low back pain can be grouped into pain types (nociceptive, neuropathic, nociplastic, or mixed) based on a clinical algorithm.
-
Pain Reprocessing Therapy for Chronic Low Back Pain
This study tests whether Pain Reprocessing Therapy can help adults with chronic low back pain by comparing it to a monitoring and education program over eight weeks.
-
VIVO 2nd GEN add-on for chronic low back pain with multimodal therapy
This pilot trial tests whether adding VIVO 2nd GEN auricular vagus nerve stimulation to standard multimodal pain therapy helps adults with chronic low back pain.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.