Summer 2026

Bakken Center's Integrative Health & Wellbeing Research Program Publishes Study in JAMA

This study questioned if non-drug options provided by physical therapists or chiropractors are more effective than guideline-based medical care for preventing chronic impactful low back pain (LBP) at one year.

June 30, 2026

Man hiking holding their lower back
A new study from the Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing's Integrative Health & Wellbeing Research Program appears in JAMA Internal Medicine; the study is titled Spinal Manipulation and Clinician-Supported Self-Management for Preventing Chronic Low Back Pain Impact.
 
Conducted by Dr. Gert Bronfort, Dr. Brent Leininger, Dr. Roni Evans, Dr. Linda Hanson, Dr. Craig Schulz, and colleagues, this study questioned if non-drug options provided by physical therapists or chiropractors are more effective than guideline-based medical care for preventing chronic impactful low back pain (LBP) at one year.
 
"Back pain is one of the most common and disabling health conditions worldwide," says Center research director Dr. Roni Evans. "This large, NIH study focused on people with recent back pain at risk of it becoming chronic. It demonstrated that a physical therapist or chiropractic-guided self-management program — combining pain education, exercise, and mind-body tools like guided imagery, relaxed breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation — reduced long-term pain impact better than standard medical care. Patients also used fewer medications."
 
 
 

Categories: Research

Tags: Integrative Therapies and Healing Practices Mind-Body

In this Issue: Summer 2026

Victory smiling at the camera in front of a grey backgroundwearing their athletics uniform

Victory Godah: Finding Meaning Through the Bakken Center

“The [Creating a Meaningful Life] class really stayed with me. It really lives inside you and is much more than passing and getting credit.”

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Teaching with Care: A Model for Student Wellbeing

The WEL Model, which was originally created in 2013 and redeveloped in 2020, lays out dimensions of wellbeing: health, relationships, security, purpose, community, and environment.

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Ahimsa (Non-Violence) in Action: Living Your Yoga in a Turbulent World

This study abroad course was more than just a trip to a faraway country or a way to earn academic credit; for many of us, it created a container for healing and internal transformation during a turbulent time.

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Food, Wellbeing, and the Future

Food security is a critical determinant of overall wellbeing—it impacts our body, mind, performance, and connection.

See all Summer 2026 Stories