Intensive interdisciplinary outpatient pain management program for chronic back pain: a pilot study

Abstract

Background: Chronic back pain is relatively resistant to unimodal therapy regimes. The aim of this study was to introduce and evaluate the short-term outcome of a three-week intensive multidisciplinary outpatient program for patients with back pain and sciatica, measured according to decrease of functional impairment and pain.

Methods: The program was designed for patients suffering from chronic back pain to provide intensive interdisciplinary therapy in an outpatient setting, consisting of interventional injection techniques, medication, exercise therapy, back education, ergotherapy, traction, massage therapy, medical training, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, aquatraining, and relaxation.

Results: Based on Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) scores, a significant improvement in pain intensity and functionality of 66.83% NRS and an ODI of 33.33% were achieved by our pain program within 3 weeks.

Conclusion: This paper describes the organization and short-term outcome of an intensive multidisciplinary program for chronic back pain on an outpatient basis provided by our orthopedic department, with clinically significant results.

Keywords: chronic back pain; intense; multidisciplinary; outpatient; program.

Figure 1 and 2

Baseline to post-treatment improvement of pain and disability. Box plot legend: Upper whisker – Extends to the maximum data point; interquartile range box, middle 50% of the data; Top line – Q3 (third quartile). 75% of the data are less than or equal to this value. Middle line – Q2 (median); Target – mean value; Bottom line – Q1 (first quartile). 25% of the data are less than or equal to this value. Lower whisker – Extends to the minimum data point.