An interventional study of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Standard Physiotherapy Program in Low Back Pain, sponsored by Al-Azhar University. Not yet recruiting. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 55 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-28.
Sponsored by Al-Azhar University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
This study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating whether adding Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to standard physiotherapy provides greater benefits for adults with chronic low back pain than physiotherapy alone.
A total of 60 participants will be randomly allocated into two groups: ACT plus physiotherapy and physiotherapy alone. Both groups will receive a 8-weeks program with two sessions per week. The ACT component focuses on acceptance, psychological flexibility, mindfulness, cognitive defusion, values, and committed action.
The main outcomes are pain catastrophizing, functional disability, perceived stress, and sleep quality, assessed using the PCS, ODI, PSS, and PSQI. The study aims to determine whether combining psychological and physical rehabilitation produces better outcomes than physiotherapy alone.
2,922 studies on the registry are indexed under Low Back Pain; 580 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 64 is close to the median of 60 across 2,364 interventional studies indexed under Low Back Pain.
Browse Low Back Pain studies →Al-Azhar University is the lead sponsor of 531 studies on the registry; 172 are open to participants now.
Of its 5 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 0 (0%) have results posted.
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Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
A_Aged between 18-55 years. B_Clinically diagnosed with non-specific chronic low back pain (CLBP). C_Low back pain persisting for more than 3 months.
Exclusion Criteria:
A. History of previous spinal surgeries or invasive interventions in the lumbar region.
B. Presence of "Red Flags" or serious underlying pathologies, such as spinal tumors, infections, or vertebral fractures.
C. Current or recent (within the last 6 months) participation in structured psychological rehabilitation or behavioral therapy programs.
D. Clinical evidence of neurological deficits, radiculopathy, or cauda equina syndrome.
E. Pregnancy, due to the physiological changes affecting musculoskeletal mechanics.
F. Severe behavioral or communication impairments preclude the ability to follow the intervention protocol or complete the self-report assessments.
G. Patients who take any sleep medication or for mental health medication. H. Patients who have done physiotherapy program last 3 months.
Participants will receive an integrated Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and physiotherapy program for 8 weeks, with two sessions per week . Each session will last approximately 45 minutes, including 15 minutes of ACT and 30 minutes of physiotherapy. ACT will include acceptance, cognitive defusion, mindfulness, values clarification, and committed action. Physiotherapy will include lumbar stabilization, core strengthening, aerobic conditioning, soft tissue techniques, and TENS.
Behavioral: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) · Other: Standard Physiotherapy Program
Participants will receive standard physiotherapy for 8 weeks, with two sessions per week . The physiotherapy program will include lumbar stabilization exercises, core strengthening, flexibility and mobility exercises, aerobic conditioning, soft tissue techniques, and TENS. Participants in this group will not receive Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or other ACT-based psychological interventions.
Other: Standard Physiotherapy Program
Participants in the experimental group will receive Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as part of the integrated rehabilitation program. ACT will be delivered for 15 minutes per session, twice weekly for 8 weeks . The intervention will focus on functional acceptance, psychological flexibility, cognitive defusion, mindfulness and present-moment awareness, values clarification, and committed action. The program aims to reduce pain catastrophizing and avoidance behaviors and promote engagement in meaningful activities despite chronic low back pain. ACT will be followed by 30 minutes of physiotherapy during each session.
Participants will receive a standard physiotherapy program twice weekly for 8 weeks . The program will include lumbar stabilization exercises, core strengthening, flexibility and mobility exercises, aerobic conditioning, soft tissue release, and TENS. The physiotherapy component aims to improve physical function, mobility, and functional ability in individuals with chronic low back pain. The same physiotherapy program will be provided to participants in both study arms.
Sleep Quality
Sleep quality will be assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), which evaluates several aspects of sleep during the previous month. The global score ranges from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality.
Time frame: Pre and 8 weeks post intervention
Pain intensity
VAS\_Pain intensity will be assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst imaginable pain. Higher scores indicate greater pain intensity.
Time frame: Pre and 8 weeks post intervention
Disability
Functional disability related to chronic low back pain will be assessed using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). The questionnaire evaluates limitations in daily activities, with the total score expressed as a percentage. Higher scores indicate greater disability.
Time frame: Pre and 8 weeks post intervention
Stress
Perceived stress will be assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), which measures the extent to which situations in an individual's life are perceived as unpredictable, uncontrollable, and overwhelming. Higher scores indicate greater perceived stress.
Time frame: pre and 8 weeks post intervention
Pain Catastrophizing
Pain catastrophizing will be assessed using the 13-item Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), which evaluates rumination, magnification, and helplessness related to pain. Higher scores indicate greater pain catastrophizing.
Time frame: Pre and 8 weeks post intervention
No study locations are listed for this record.
Plan to share: Undecided
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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