Development and Feasibility of Mindfulness Based Pain Reduction

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Chronic low back pain (cLBP) defined according to the NIH Research Task Force recommendation on Research Standards for cLBP: pain at least half the days in the past 6 months, by using 2 questions and a human figure drawing illustrating the region as the space between the lower posterior margin of the rib cage and the horizontal gluteal fold. 2. Average pain in the last month at least 3 out of 10 on Numeric Rating Scale \[range 0 - 10, for 0 signifying no pain and 10 signifying worst pain imaginable\]. This level of pain allows comparability of the study results with the majority of cLBP studies. Pain rated less than 3 is too mild to detect improvement. 3. Men and women aged 18 years old and older. The investigators are not enrolling younger children as they are not part of the Intensive Pain Rehabilitation Therapy program. 4. Eligibility will be assessed using the following questions: "(1) How long has back pain been an ongoing problem for you? and (2) How often has low-back pain been an ongoing problem for you over the past 6 months?" A response of greater than three months to question 1, and a response of "at least half the days in the past 6 months" to question 2 would meet the cLBP eligibility criterion. 5. Ability to speak English. We do not have the capacity, given the resources available in this proposal, to translate all course material and conduct groups into another language. The investiagtors have previously enrolled Hispanic participants into other studies who were fluent in English, and expect to do this in the proposed study. 6. Owning a smart phone Exclusion Criteria: 1. Unable to provide informed consent. 2. A substance abuse, mental health, or medical condition that, in the opinion of investigators, will make it difficult for the potential participant to participate or that may need immediate changes in medical management that will affect study outcome measures. Such conditions may include cancer, liver failure, renal failure, pain conditions from inflammatory diseases (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus), malignancies or abdominal aortic aneurysm, muscle weakness from radiculopathy. Radiculopathy or sciatic pain is NOT excluded as long as the condition is stable and does not lead to significant movement restrictions or \<4/5 muscle weakness. Persons with significant substance abuse or mental health conditions that interfere with social functioning may be disruptive. Other medical or mental heal…