Cognitive behavioral control of arthritis pain

Cognitive-behavioral approaches appear to offer a viable alternative for the management of arthritis pain. Controlled studies have documented the efficacy of CBT protocols for managing pain in individuals having OA and RA. Preliminary studies examining the efficacy of CBT for FM patients have also yielded encouraging results. A number of clinical and research issues need attention if CBT is to be incorporated into rheumatology practice settings. These issues include identifying the most important components of CBT, developing strategies for matching CBT interventions to patients' readiness for behavior change, testing the efficacy of different therapy formats (e.g., individual versus group), broadening the scope of CBT to address issues other than pain, and insurance reimbursement.