Patient Education for Chronic Low Back Pain

Overseen By Allyn Bove, PhD, PT, DPT

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh

Disqualifiers: Prior spine surgery, recent orthopaedic surgery, no device access

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Approved in 1 Jurisdiction This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 5

30 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Do I have to stop taking my current medications for this trial?

The trial protocol does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems focused on education rather than medication changes, so you likely won't need to stop your current meds.

What data supports the idea that Patient Education for Chronic Low Back Pain is an effective treatment?

The available research shows that Patient Education for Chronic Low Back Pain, also known as Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE), can help reduce pain and improve the ability to function in people with chronic low back pain. Studies have found that PNE is effective in both the short and long term for managing pain and disability. While the improvements might be small, PNE is still a recommended strategy for dealing with persistent low back pain. Additionally, when combined with physical therapy, PNE can further decrease the difficulties patients face in their daily activities. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

What safety data is available for Patient Education for Chronic Low Back Pain?

The provided research does not explicitly mention safety data for Patient Education for Chronic Low Back Pain or its variants like Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE). The studies focus on the effectiveness of PNE in improving pain and disability outcomes, but they do not address safety concerns or adverse effects. Therefore, specific safety data for this treatment is not available in the given research abstracts. ^{1 2 3 4 6}

Is Patient Education for Chronic Low Back Pain a promising treatment?

Yes, Patient Education for Chronic Low Back Pain, also known as Pain Neuroscience Education, is a promising treatment. It helps people understand their pain better, which can lead to improvements in pain and disability. ^{1 2 4 5 6}

What is the purpose of this trial?

The goal of this pilot single-arm study is to examine the potential of personalized patient education materials to improve self-efficacy and perceived functional disability in patients with chronic low back pain. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. What is the feasibility of delivering a personalized patient education program for individuals with chronic low back pain? 2. What is the impact of personalized patient education materials on disease-specific self-efficacy and patient-reported function in a small sample of individuals with chronic low back pain? Participants will be asked to: * access and complete online baseline questionnaires * access and follow online patient materials on chronic low back pain on days 5, 8, 11, 14, and 17 * access and complete online follow-up responses to baseline questionnaires and a post-study survey

Research Team

Allyn Bove, PhD, PT, DPT

Principal Investigator

University of Pittsburgh

Yanshan Wang, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Pittsburgh

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for individuals suffering from chronic low back pain. Participants should be willing to engage with online educational materials and complete questionnaires about their condition before and after the education program.

Inclusion Criteria

I have had chronic low back pain for more than 12 weeks.

Patients who receive care outside of UPMC: The potential participant can provide a physician letter, after visit summary, or other reasonable documentation to confirm that they have indeed sought health care for LBP within the previous 12 months

My back pain is bad enough to score 15 or more on a disability test.

Exclusion Criteria

Does not have own smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop to access study questionnaires and education materials

I have not had any bone surgery in the last 6 months.

I have had surgery on my spine before.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Educational Intervention

Participants complete a 3-week educational intervention aimed at improving self-efficacy in managing chronic low back pain. Educational materials are personalized and accessed online on days 5, 8, 11, 14, and 17.

3 weeks

5 online sessions

Follow-up

Participants complete online follow-up responses to baseline questionnaires and a post-study survey to assess changes in pain and self-efficacy.

1 week

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Patient Education for Chronic Low Back Pain

Trial Overview The study is testing a personalized patient education program designed to improve self-confidence in managing chronic low back pain and reduce perceived disability due to the condition. It involves following an online educational course over several days.

Participant Groups

Group I: Patient Education for Chronic Low Back Pain Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Patients will access online patient education materials on chronic low back pain five times after completing baseline questionnaires on days 5, 8, 11, 14, and 17.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Pittsburgh

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,820

Recruited

16,360,000+

Findings from Research

Pain neuroscience education (PNE) is an effective educational strategy for managing persistent low back pain (PLBP), helping patients shift their understanding of pain from a focus on tissue injury to a neurobiological perspective.

The systematic review identified 54 relevant studies and highlighted that PNE aims to enhance patient adherence to rehabilitation by normalizing cognitive-behavioral responses, distinguishing it from traditional educational methods.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Clarification of the "pain neuroscience education" concept in the management of patients with persistent low back pain: A scoping review. Adenis, N., Gosselin, K., Stetsenko, N., et al.[2023]

Pain neuroscience education (PNE) combined with physiotherapy shows moderate evidence of improving short-term disability and pain in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP), based on a meta-analysis of 8 trials involving 615 participants.

While PNE appears effective in the short term, the analysis did not find evidence of long-term benefits for pain or disability when PNE was added to standard physiotherapy treatments.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A systematic review and meta-analysis of pain neuroscience education for chronic low back pain: Short-and long-term outcomes of pain and disability. Wood, L., Hendrick, PA.[2019]

In a study of 40 patients with chronic low back pain, combining Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) with kinesiotherapy significantly improved pain perception and reduced kinesiophobia compared to kinesiotherapy alone.

The intervention group that received PNE showed notable improvements across all evaluated variables, indicating that educating patients about pain can enhance the effectiveness of physical therapy in managing chronic low back pain.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Physiotherapeutic treatment associated with the pain neuroscience education for patients with chronic non-specific low back pain-single-blind randomized pilot clinical trial. Yamada, AS., Antunes, FTT., Vaz, SMR., et al.[2023]

Pain neuroscience education (PNE) combined with exercise or physiotherapy significantly reduces short-term pain and disability in patients with chronic low back pain, based on a review of 17 studies involving 1078 participants.

Longer PNE sessions (over 60 minutes) and group-based approaches appear to enhance the effectiveness of PNE, suggesting that the duration and format of education are important factors in treatment outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A systematic review and meta-analysis of pain neuroscience education for chronic low back pain: short-term outcomes of pain and disability. Ma, X., Chen, R., Li, W., et al.[2023]

Pain neuroscience education (PNE) effectively reduces kinesiophobia and improves illness perceptions in chronic spinal pain patients, regardless of their level of education, based on a study of 120 participants.

While there were no significant differences in overall effectiveness between higher and lower educated patients, the higher educated group showed notable improvements in specific areas like perceived illness cyclicity, indicating that PNE can be beneficial across different educational backgrounds.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Influence of education level on the effectiveness of pain neuroscience education: A secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial. Bilterys, T., Kregel, J., Nijs, J., et al.[2022]

This study will evaluate the effectiveness of Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) in real-world clinical settings by training clinicians in 16 clinic regions to provide PNE to patients with chronic neck or back pain, with outcomes measured at baseline, 2 weeks, and 12 weeks.

PNE aims to change patients' understanding of pain from a damage indicator to a brain interpretation of signals, potentially offering a low-cost intervention that could improve physical therapy education and patient outcomes for chronic spinal pain.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effectiveness of training physical therapists in pain neuroscience education on patient reported outcomes for patients with chronic spinal pain: a study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial. Lane, E., Fritz, JM., Greene, T., et al.[2019]

References

1. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Clarification of the "pain neuroscience education" concept in the management of patients with persistent low back pain: A scoping review. [2023]

2. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A systematic review and meta-analysis of pain neuroscience education for chronic low back pain: Short-and long-term outcomes of pain and disability. [2019]

3. Turkey pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Physiotherapeutic treatment associated with the pain neuroscience education for patients with chronic non-specific low back pain-single-blind randomized pilot clinical trial. [2023]

4. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A systematic review and meta-analysis of pain neuroscience education for chronic low back pain: short-term outcomes of pain and disability. [2023]

5. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Influence of education level on the effectiveness of pain neuroscience education: A secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial. [2022]

6. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effectiveness of training physical therapists in pain neuroscience education on patient reported outcomes for patients with chronic spinal pain: a study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial. [2019]