Pain Neuroscience Education for Acute and Sub-Acute Low Back Pain

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Low Back Pain; Pain, Back; Pain, Chronic
• Interventions: Behavioral: Pain Neuroscience Education

• Registration Number: NCT03722394
• Lead Sponsor: University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Brief Summary

To determine if Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) would result in positive clinical changes in patients presenting with acute or sub-acute low back pain (LBP).

Detailed Description

Background: Pain neuroscience education (PNE) has shown efficacy in treating chronic pain. Clinicians may believe PNE is not suitable for acute and sub-acute pain. Subgroupings of low back pain (LBP) imply some patients with LBP may respond favorably to PNE.

Objective: To determine if PNE would result in positive clinical changes in patients presenting with acute or sub-acute LBP.

Methods: Eighty consecutive patients with LBP \< 3 months were enrolled in the study. Patients completed a demographics questionnaire, leg and LBP rating (Numeric Pain Rating Scale - NPRS), disability (Oswestry Disability Index), fear-avoidance (Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire), pain catastrophization (Pain Catastrophization Scale), central sensitization (Central Sensitization Inventory), pain knowledge (Revised Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire), risk assessment (Keele STarT Back Screening Tool), active trunk flexion and straight leg raise (SLR). Patients received a 15-minute verbal, one-on-one PNE session, followed by repeat measurement of LBP and leg pain (NPRS), trunk flexion and SLR.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2018-01-10
• Primary Completion: 2018-07-30
• Study Completion: 2018-07-30
• Status Verified: 2018-10
• Study First Submitted: 2018-10-22
• Study First Submitted QC: 2018-10-24
• Last Update Submitted: 2018-10-24
• Study First Posted: 2018-10-26
• Last Update Posted: 2018-10-26

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 80

Inclusion Criteria

• a complaint of LBP with or without leg pain less than 3 months, and
• a willingness to participate

Exclusion Criteria

• a) were under age 18 (minor);
• b) had undergone lumbar surgery;
• c) could not read or understand the English language;
• d) presented with any cognitive deficits rendering them unsuitable for PNE (i.e., stroke, traumatic brain injury, etc.),
• e) declined to participate or
• f) presented with a medical etiology (red flag) associated with their LBP.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Pain Neuroscience Education	Pain Neuroscience Education	Subjects received a 15-minute verbal, one-on-one Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) session

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
NPRS - LBP	Immediate change from baseline after assigned intervention	Numeric Pain Rating Scale for Low Back Pain (Range 0 = no pain to 11 = maximum pain)
NPRS - Leg pain	Immediate change from baseline after assigned intervention	Numeric Pain Rating Scale for leg pain (Range 0 = no pain to 11 = maximum pain)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Passive Straight Leg Raise	Immediate change from baseline in angular degrees after assigned intervention	Range of hip flexion angle during passive straight leg raise test measured in degrees
Active trunk flexion	Immediate change from baseline in centimeters after assigned intervention	Active trunk flexion measured in centimeters from fingertips to floor

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Nevada Las Vegas; 🇺🇸 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States