Efect of cognitive behavior therapy in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain

Background:Chronic musculoskeletal pain is one of the most challenging clinical concerns that clinicians face, and it can be devastating to patients. Several research have indicated that chronic pain sufferers have impaired cognitive performance, and other studies have discovered inverse relationships between pain reports and cognitive functioning, in which a rise in pain severity is linked to a drop in cognitive capacity.Objectives:This study aimedto determine the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain. Subjects and Methods: Thirty patients with chronic non-specific low back pain participated in this study. Their age ranged from 20 to 35 years. Patients were randomly divided into two equal groups, study and control groups.The study group received home program exercise and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) sessions, while, the control group received home exercise only. Treatment sessions were conducted three times per week for six weeks.All participants undergone evaluation of pain intensity by visual analogue scale(VAS), back function byOswestry disability index(ODI) and pain related anxiety by pain anxiety symptoms scale (PASS). Results: A significant improvement in nearly all measured variables (P<0.05) was found in both groups post treatment, but the percentage of improvement was higher in study group.However, the improvement in Oswestry low back pain disability index (total score) and PASS (Physiological anxiety score) was not statistically significantin the control group.Conclusion:Multidisciplinary approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy with exercise have much better effect on pain intensity and back function in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain because chronic painis much bio-psycho-social model rather than biomedical model only.