Feasibility of Identifying Brain Mechanisms of Qigong and Behavioral Outcomes After Qigong Practice in People With Chronic Low Back Pain

Identifying Brain Mechanisms Related to Body Awareness Using QiGong to Relieve Chronic Low Back Pain

The long-term objective of this investigation is to identify how Qigong affects brain function in brain areas relevant to patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP), thereby setting a foundation from which to perform further clinical research.

The central hypothesis of this investigation is that, in adults with cLBP, practicing Qigong compared to exercise will result in reduced pain and improved body awareness and proprioception (primary behavioral endpoints), disability, balance, core muscle strength, and other CLBP symptoms will be secondary behavioral endpoints.To test this hypothesis, the investigators will assess (1) participant recruitment and retention ; (2) adherence to interventions, engagement/satisfaction with the program; and (3) changes in body awareness-related brain activation and connectivity pre-post intervention (Qigong vs exercise) related to primary endpoints of pain perception, body awareness and objective measures of lower limb proprioception.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Adults with chronic low back pain

Exclusion Criteria:

• Those with cognitive problems
• Those unable to speak or understand instructions
• Those who have nerve problems, fractures, or infections
• Those who do not speak English
• Those with severe deficit in motor imagery or in vision (both are used in MRI tasks)