EFFects of Exposure and Cognitive behavioral Therapy for chronic BACK pain ("EFFECT-BACK"): study protocol for a...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Pain Management
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Chronic back pain is a prevalent condition with significant socioeconomic impact.
• Current multidisciplinary treatments are not always satisfactory for patients.
• Exposure therapy (EXP) shows promise as an effective and economical treatment for chronic back pain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of exposure therapy (EXP) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for chronic back pain.
• To identify patient subgroups that particularly benefit from EXP.
• To improve and expand treatment options for chronic back pain.

Main Methods:

• A randomized multicenter clinical trial with a target of 380 participants.
• Comparison of two psychological treatments: EXP and CBT.
• Primary outcome: clinically significant improvement in pain-related impairment (QPBDS) at 6-month follow-up.
• Secondary outcomes: changes in coping, psychological flexibility, depressiveness, catastrophizing, exercise avoidance, fear of exercise, and pain intensity.
• Exploration of potential predictors for treatment efficacy, focusing on avoidance and coping behaviors.

Main Results:

• The study is ongoing and results are pending.
• The primary outcome measure is the QPBDS score change from baseline to 6-month follow-up.
• Secondary outcome measures will assess various psychological and behavioral variables related to pain.

Conclusions:

• This is the first RCT comparing CBT and EXP for chronic back pain in a large, diverse sample.
• Identifying predictors will enable individualized treatment assignment for chronic back pain patients.
• Findings may support the dissemination of EXP as an efficacious and efficient treatment concept.