Treatment of low back pain: First extended follow up of an original trial (NCT00600197) comparing a multidisciplinary group-based rehabilitation program with oral drug treatment alone up to 24 months

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to examine the effects of the extended follow-up of an original trial (NCT00600197) which has been published in The Clinical Journal of Pain.

Methods: Eighty-three percent (165 of 197) of the original study, including 82 patients in intervention and 83 patients in the control group, provided extended 24-month follow-up data. The intervention was a group-based multidisciplinary rehabilitation program which was continued by monthly motivational consultation. Data on measures of Short Form 36 (SF-36), Quebec Disability Scale (QDS) and Ronald Morris Disability (RDQ) were collected at 12-, 18- and 24-month follow-ups and analyzed through repeated measures analysis of variance.

Results: The patients who responded (n = 165) and who did not respond (n = 32) to the questionnaires were the same in terms of all baseline data except for physical function which was better for respondents (P < 0.05). Among the respondents, both intervention and control groups were the same at baseline except for education level and mental health which was better in the intervention group (P < 0.05). As a result, the intervention group had consistently better outcomes regarding all variables except for social function at all follow-up times. Furthermore, in the intervention group only for mental health the interaction between time and group was significant (P = 0.01).

Discussion: The designed multidisciplinary program could improve health-related quality of life and disability up to 24 months in chronic low back pain patients.

Keywords: chronic low back pain; health-related quality of life; multidisciplinary treatment; oral drug treatment.