Can mindfulness and acupuncture boost spine surgery recovery? small study says maybe
NCT ID NCT06429072
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This pilot study tested whether adding mindfulness training and acupuncture to standard education helps people recover after spine surgery. Fifty adults undergoing single-level fusion, discectomy, or laminectomy were randomly assigned to either the combined program or education alone. The main goal was to see if the program was feasible and acceptable, not whether it actually improves outcomes. Participants used a smartphone app for mindfulness modules and could attend up to 8 acupuncture sessions.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Mindfulness training and acupuncture
- What this could lead to
- If this approach proves feasible and acceptable, it could lead to a larger trial testing whether combining mindfulness and acupuncture improves recovery and quality of life after spine surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study (50 people) focused on feasibility, not effectiveness. Results may not apply to all spine surgery patients, and the added time and effort of the program might not be acceptable to everyone.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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50 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Aug 2024
- Finished
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Oct 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 80 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. undergoing single level fusion, discectomy or laminectomy of the cervical or lumbar spine for management of pain 2. 18 years of age or older 3. has access to a smartphone or mobile device (with android or iOS operating system) and internet to complete training and questionnaires. Exclusion Criteria: 1. have conditions making consent, follow-up data collection and/or use of the intervention prohibitive (e.g., Non-English speaking, serious psychiatric conditions \[i.e., schizophrenia\], traumatic brain injury, or dementia-type illness) 2. undergoing surgery for neoplastic disease 3. current daily opioid use greater than 100mg morphine equivalents 4. unable to receive acupuncture due to injury, infection, or other contraindication to the use of needles at acupuncture sites 5. not possible to attend outpatient clinic for AA follow-up (e.g., from out-of-state) 6. currently practicing mindfulness or receiving acupuncture 7. in Hospice, receiving palliative care.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Duke Sports Science Institute
Durham, North Carolina, 27705, United States
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