A multidisciplinary pain management program for patients with chronic low back pain: a randomized, single-blind,...

Area of Science:

• Pain Management
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Clinical Feasibility Studies

Background:

• Multidisciplinary programs are recommended for non-specific chronic low-back pain but are complex to implement.
• The PAINDOC program is a multidisciplinary approach designed to address this need.
• Assessing the feasibility and appropriateness of the PAINDOC program is crucial for its wider adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and appropriateness of the PAINDOC multidisciplinary program for chronic low-back pain.
• To assess the program's impact on pain intensity, disability, and quality of life.
• To determine sample size requirements for a future randomized clinical trial.

Main Methods:

• A 5-month prospective cohort study (n=227) assessed recruitment, completion, and drop-out rates.
• A subsequent single-blind feasibility study (n=41) compared the PAINDOC program to pharmacological treatment.
• Participants were randomized into either the PAINDOC program (n=20) or pharmacological treatment (n=21) arms.

Main Results:

• The study achieved a 66% recruitment rate, with an 80.7% completion rate and a 19.3% drop-out rate.
• Significant medium effect size differences in pain intensity were observed between groups at 4-month follow-up (p=.017, r=.408).
• The PAINDOC group showed significant reductions in pain intensity (p<.001) and improvements in quality of life (p=.030).

Conclusions:

• The PAINDOC multidisciplinary program demonstrates feasibility for patients with chronic low-back pain.
• Exploratory results suggest the program may effectively reduce pain and enhance quality of life.
• A future randomized clinical trial is warranted to definitively establish the PAINDOC program's effectiveness.