Education for Chronic Lower Back Pain
Palo Alto (17 mi)Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Travel: May be covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: N/A
Recruiting
Sponsor: Northwestern University
No Placebo Group
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?The investigative team will provide 27 slides with bullet points and images of pain referral patterns for different causes (e.g., herniated disc, facet joint arthritis) for patients seen for a new visit with a chief complaint of chronic low back pain. This material is all publicly available but has been compiled in presentation form. This will have educational benefit for patients, discussing clinical signs and symptoms, risk factors and basic treatments. There will also be a smaller control group of that gets a condensed 4-slide presentation. After review of the slides, an independent observer will ask the patient what they think are the 2 most likely causes of their LBP (in order of likelihood) and match that with the attending physician and trainee, who will independently do the same. The investigative team will then determine how concordant the patient's answers are with the physicians and also record outcomes.
What safety data exists for education as a treatment for chronic lower back pain?The systematic review titled 'Systematic Review to Inform a World Health Organization (WHO) Clinical Practice Guideline' evaluates the benefits and harms of structured and standardized education or advice for chronic primary low back pain in adults. This suggests that safety data has been considered in the context of developing WHO guidelines. Additionally, the randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews mentioned in the other titles imply that education interventions have been studied for their effects, though specific safety data is not detailed in the abstracts provided.12789
What data supports the idea that Education for Chronic Lower Back Pain is an effective treatment?The available research shows mixed results about the effectiveness of Education for Chronic Lower Back Pain. One study found that education did not significantly improve symptoms compared to no education. Another study indicated that education had little additional benefit for pain and function compared to placebo or other interventions. However, one study noted that an education program helped patients maintain or resume physical activity, which can be beneficial for managing chronic pain. Overall, while education might help with certain aspects like encouraging physical activity, it may not be more effective than other treatments for reducing pain or improving function.145710
Do I have to stop taking my current medications for this trial?The trial protocol does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems to focus on educational materials for chronic lower back pain, so it's unlikely that medication changes are required.
Is education a promising treatment for chronic lower back pain?Education can be a promising treatment for chronic lower back pain. It helps people understand their condition better, which can lead to improved outcomes like reduced disability and fewer doctor visits. Educational pamphlets, in particular, have shown success in changing beliefs and behaviors about back pain, making them a cost-effective option.13679
Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for individuals experiencing chronic low back pain who are visiting a doctor for the first time about this issue. Participants should be able to review educational material and communicate their thoughts on the cause of their pain.Inclusion Criteria
I have had lower back pain for more than 3 months.
I am older than 18 years.
My main issue is lower back pain or sciatica.
Treatment Details
The study tests if patients can identify the source of their low back pain after reviewing an educational presentation with images and information. Their self-diagnosis will be compared to physicians' assessments.
2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: EducationExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Educational initiative on back pain
Group II: ControlActive Control1 Intervention
Control initiative (non-comprehensive overview)
Find a clinic near you
Research locations nearbySelect from list below to view details:
Northwestern University Pain Management CenterChicago, IL
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Who is running the clinical trial?
Northwestern UniversityLead Sponsor
References
Back pain: lessons from patient education. [2019]Education for the patient with back pain is currently being discussed and reassessed. In the 1970s and 1980s, the clinical and scientific communities were convinced that patient education as a sole treatment for back pain was most beneficial. In the 1990s outcome studies, randomized controlled trials, meta analysis and best synthesis evidence have moderated this view. This brief overview summarizes important aspects put forward in recently published articles about the education of patients with non-specific, low back pain in industrialized societies.
Information and advice to patients with back pain can have a positive effect. A randomized controlled trial of a novel educational booklet in primary care. [2022]A double-blind, randomized controlled trial of a novel educational booklet compared with a traditional booklet for patients seeking treatment in primary care for acute or recurrent low back pain.
Back school or pamphlet education: which is best for industry? [2014]The use of education in the clinical setting to help chronic sufferers cope with their back pain is not a new concept. Back schools and work hardening programs have been running for many years, but education about back pain at the primary care level, in industry specifically, has been slower in developing. Studies that have used back schools in industry have had some success but not as much as might be hoped, often not being very cost-efficient nor producing lasting changes in health behaviours. However, the use of educational pamphlets in the primary care setting have shown success in changing individuals knowledge about back pain and altering number of visits to a physician. Furthermore, when a pamphlet, designed on the basis of current knowledge about the management of non-specific low back pain, was distributed in a manufacturing industry, there were changes in beliefs about back pain which mirrored substantial change in absence behaviour. In conclusion, education through the medium of a pamphlet seems able to change knowledge and behaviours related to back pain and, with sufficiently large reductions in absence from the workplace it would appear to be a cost-efficient method. Further studies are required to confirm the validity and cost-efficiency of pamphlet education for back pain in the manufacturing industry, but also to determine pamphlet utility in other work environments and for other health problems.
Evaluation of individualized quality of life and illness perceptions in low back pain. A patient education cluster randomized controlled trial. [2022]To evaluate the effect of a cognitive patient education intervention compared with usual care on secondary outcomes of individual quality of life and psychological outcomes of illness perceptions and pain catastrophizing in patients with low back pain.
Education With Therapeutic Alliance Did Not Improve Symptoms in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain and Low Risk of Poor Prognosis Compared to Education Without Therapeutic Alliance: A Randomized Controlled Trial. [2021]To compare the effectiveness of an education intervention with or without the addition of the therapeutic alliance to no education intervention in patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain (LBP) and low risk of poor prognosis.
The Efficacy and Effectiveness of Education for Preventing and Treating Non-Specific Low Back Pain in the Hispanic Cultural Setting: A Systematic Review. [2022]A systematic review was conducted to assess the efficacy and effectiveness of education programs to prevent and treat low back pain (LBP) in the Hispanic cultural setting. Electronic and manual searches identified 1148 unique references. Nine randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were included in this review. Methodological quality assessment and data extraction followed the recommendations from the Cochrane Back Pain Review Group. Education programs which were assessed focused on active management (3 studies), postural hygiene (7), exercise (4) and pain neurophysiology (1). Comparators were no intervention, usual care, exercise, other types of education, and different combinations of these procedures. Five RCTs had a low risk of bias. Results show that: (a) education programs in the school setting can transmit potentially useful knowledge for LBP prevention and (b) education programs for patients with LBP improve the outcomes of usual care, especially in terms of disability. Education on pain neurophysiology improves the results of education on exercise, and education on active management is more effective than "sham" education and education on postural hygiene. Future studies should assess the comparative or summatory effects of education on exercise, education on pain neurophysiology and education on active management, as well as explore their efficiency.
Individual Patient Education for Managing Acute and/or Subacute Low Back Pain: Little Additional Benefit for Pain and Function Compared to Placebo. A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. [2022]To evaluate the effects of individual patient education for managing acute and/or subacute low back pain (LBP), compared to no intervention/placebo education, noneducational interventions, or other type of education.
"Myths and Facts" Education Is Comparable to "Facts Only" for Recall of Back Pain Information but May Improve Fear-Avoidance Beliefs: An Embedded Randomized Trial. [2022]To assess the effectiveness of patient education with "myths and facts" versus "facts only" on recall of back pain information and fear-avoidance beliefs in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP).
Systematic Review to Inform a World Health Organization (WHO) Clinical Practice Guideline: Benefits and Harms of Structured and Standardized Education or Advice for Chronic Primary low back pain in Adults. [2023]Evaluate benefits and harms of education/advice for chronic primary low back pain (CPLBP) in adults to inform a World Health Organization (WHO) standard clinical guideline.
Middle-term effects of education programme in chronic low back pain patients to an adherence to physical activity: A randomized controlled trial. [2023]This study was to measure the impact of an education programme in Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) patients on their changing behaviour; particularly on the resumption or maintenance of physical activity (PA) at three and six months after care.