Can online sleep therapy ease chronic back pain? new study seeks answers

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: (1) age \>=18 years; (2) report low back pain as ongoing problem \>= 3 months and any pain on at least half of the days over the past 6 months (consistent with NIH Consensus Recommendations, other chronic pain problems can be present, but cLBP must be reported as primary); (3) average pain intensity \>= 4 over past 7 days on a 0-10 numerical rating scale; (4) sleep-onset insomnia and/or sleep maintenance insomnia and/or late insomnia (\>30 minutes of WASO or SOL or waking \>30 minutes before desired time for at least 3 nights/week) with presence of insomnia symptoms for \>= 6 months, and the sleep disturbance (or associated daytime fatigue) must cause significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning to be consistent with DSM 5 criteria (evaluated by phone interview). Exclusion Criteria: (1) currently receiving behavioral treatment for insomnia; (2) currently engaging in formal or informal meditation practice on a regular (e.g., weekly) basis; (3) unstable medication use for sleep, pain, or other indication (e.g., changed within the past 3 months); (4) irregular sleep schedules dictated by shift work (i.e., usual bedtimes outside 8:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m. or arising time outside 4:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.); (4) mental health condition deemed to interfere with study procedures or put the participant at undue risk via semi-structured interview (e.g., screen positive for psychotic disorder) or other untreated sleep disorders (e.g., obstructive sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome) as evaluated by our semi-structured interview based on the Diagnostic Interview for Insomnia (DII); (5) do not have regular internet access; (6) cannot read and speak English (interventions only available in English); and (7) severe cognitive impairment (i.e., score =9 on the Telephone-Assessed Mental State); (8) currently pregnant; 9) unable or unwilling to comply with study protocols, or otherwise determined by the PI to be able to safely participate in the study.