The effect of pain neuroscience education program on patients with chronic low back pain

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is associated with heightened pain intensity, catastrophizing, disability, and depression, leading to reduced quality of life, increased health care costs, and work limitations.

To determine the effect of a virtual Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) intervention on pain intensity, catastrophizing, disability, and depression in adults with CLBP.

A parallel quasi-experimental design was conducted with 44 participants from a pain management clinic. Participants were assigned to either a PNE intervention group or a control group receiving standard care. The PNE group viewed five educational videos followed by a one-on-one provider session to reinforce learning. Pain intensity (Numeric Pain Rating Scale), catastrophizing (Pain Catastrophizing Scale), disability (Oswestry Disability Index), and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) were measured at baseline and after 4 weeks. Independent t-tests and chi-square tests analyzed demographics. The Mann-Whitney U test compared outcomes between groups, and the Wilcoxon signed rank test assessed pre- and postintervention changes within groups.

At the 1-month follow-up, the PNE group demonstrated significant reductions of over 42% in depression and catastrophizing scores compared with the control group. Within-group analysis revealed significant improvements in pain intensity, catastrophizing, disability, and depression from baseline to postintervention in the PNE group.

The virtual PNE intervention effectively reduced pain, catastrophizing, disability, and depression in adults with CLBP over a 4-week period.

Pain Neuroscience Education can serve as a cost-effective, accessible, and noninvasive intervention to improve psychological and functional outcomes in individuals with CLBP. Broader implementation in clinical settings may enhance patient well-being and reduce reliance on traditional medical treatments.