Brief interventions for chronic pain: Approaches and evidence

Area of Science:

• Pain Management
• Behavioral Medicine
• Health Services Research

Background:

• National guidelines support integrating behavioral approaches into chronic pain treatment.
• Significant barriers limit patient access to existing chronic pain care.
• Brief treatment formats may overcome therapist and resource limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize evidence for therapist-delivered brief behavioral pain interventions.
• To describe treatment approaches, implementation, and evidence for these interventions.
• To discuss dissemination and technology's role in enhancing access to behavioral pain care.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of published evidence for therapist-delivered brief behavioral pain interventions.
• Interventions operationalized as 1-4 sessions or ≤8 hours total treatment time.
• Included adults (≥18 years) with chronic pain.

Main Results:

• Summarized evidence for eight identified brief behavioral pain interventions.
• Detailed treatment approach, implementation features, and existing evidence for each.
• Highlighted salient points and current clinical dissemination.

Conclusions:

• Brief behavioral pain interventions show promise for expanding patient access.
• Leveraging technology can further enhance the reach of behavioral pain care.
• Addressing barriers through brief formats is crucial for effective chronic pain management.