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Cognitive Functional Therapy for Chronic Low Back Pain

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Low Back Pain
Neuromuscular Manifestations
Back Pain
Pain
Signs and Symptoms
Interventions
Other: Manual Therapy and Motor Control Exercise
Behavioral: Cognitive Functional Therapy
Registration Number
NCT03221439
Lead Sponsor
Centro Universitário Augusto Motta
Brief Summary

There is evidence, of a single randomized controlled trial, that CFT is better than combined manual therapy and motor control exercise for chronic low back pain. However, this study had significant methodological shortcomings regarding the failure to carry out the intention to treat analysis and a considerable loss of follow-up of patients. It is important to replicate this study through a randomized clinical trial with similar objectives in another domain, but correcting these methodological shortcomings. Therefore, the aim of the study is to assess the efficacy of Cognitive Functional Therapy in patients with chronic non specific low back pain.

Detailed Description

One hundred and forty eight patients with chronic low back pain from two outpatient physiotherapy clinics in Brazil will be randomized to receive either Cognitive Functional Therapy or combined Manual Therapy and Motor Control Exercises. Intervention: 4-10 sessions of CFT. Control: 4-10 sessions of combined Manual Therapy and Motor Control Exercises. Measurements: Clinical outcomes will be assessed at the baseline, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months after randomization. Analysis: Intention-to-treat analysis will be performed, and linear mixed models will be calculated to evaluate the effect of the intervention. Non-specific predictors, moderators and mediators of outcome will also be analysed. Discussion: This study will investigate whether the results of the first CFT clinical trial can be replicated. In addition, the results will contribute to a better understanding of the efficacy of the CFT approach.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
148
Inclusion Criteria
  • Aged between 18 and 65 years
  • Low back pain for more than 3 months
  • Disability score of 14% or more on the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)
  • Being able to walk independently with or without support
  • Understand Portuguese well enough to be able to fill in the questionnaires
Exclusion Criteria
  • Main pain area is not the lumbar spine (from T12 to buttocks)
  • Main pain as leg pain (eg: nerve root compression or herniated disc with radicular pain / radiculopathy, lateral and central stenosis)
  • Less than 6 months after lumbar spine, lower limb or abdomen surgery
  • Invasive procedures for pain relief (ex: epidural injection, rhizotomy) in the last 3 months
  • Pregnancy
  • Inflammatory/rheumatological diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Scheuermann's disease)

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Manual Therapy and ExerciseManual Therapy and Motor Control ExerciseThe active comparator will be the combination of manual therapy and motor control exercises.
Cognitive Functional TherapyCognitive Functional TherapyCognitive Functional Therapy (CFT) is a behavioral intervention that addresses multiple aspects of low back pain. This approach focuses on changing the patient's beliefs, confronting their fears, educating them about pain mechanisms, increasing mental strength, and control of their body. This is done with functional tasks performed by individuals training them to reduce excessive muscle activity in the trunk and generate behavioral changes related to pain, from postures and provocative movements.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Pain intensity3 months after randomization

It will be measured by the Brazilian version of the Numerical Scale of Pain 11 points (END). The END scale goes from 0 to 10, where 0 is "no pain" and 10 is "the worst pain imaginable." Participants will be asked to answer about their pain levels based on the last seven days

Disability associated to low back pain3 months after randomization

It will be assessed by the Brazilian version of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). It is a tool widely used in research and clinical practice to assess the disability low back pain. This questionnaire has 10 items (0-5 points each) related to activities of daily living that patients with low back pain have more difficulties to do. The sum of the scores of items is multiplied by two and the percentage of disability varies from 0 to 100 %.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Pain intensity6 and 12 months after randomization

It will be measured by the Brazilian version of the Numerical Scale of Pain 11 points (END) 13. The END scale goes from 0 to 10, where 0 is "no pain" and 10 is "the worst pain imaginable." Participants will be asked to answer about their pain levels based on the last seven days.

Disability associated to low back pain6 and 12 months after randomization

It will be assessed by the Brazilian version of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). It is a tool widely used in research and clinical practice to assess the disability low back pain. This questionnaire has 10 items (0-5 points each) related to activities of daily living that patients with low back pain have more difficulties to do. The sum of the scores of items is multiplied by two and the percentage of disability varies from 0 to 100 %.

Patient Satisfaction3, 6 and 12 months after randomization

This is a simple questionnaire from 1 to 5 asking the patients how satisfied they were with their treatment: 1 = satisfied, 2 = just a little satisfied, 3 = neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, 4 = just a little dissatisfied, 5 = dissatisfied

Global impression of recovery3, 6 and 12 months after randomization

It will be evaluated based on the Global Perceived Effect Scale (GPES) which is an 11-point scale ranging from -5 ('vastly worse'), through 0 (no change) to +5 (completely recovered).

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Centro Universitário Augusto Motta

🇧🇷

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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