A brief intervention utilising visual feedback reduces pain and enhances tactile acuity in CLBP patients

Abstract

Background: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a serious health problem in industrialised countries and the efficacy of current treatment options is unsatisfying.

Objective: The present study examines the effects of a combined intervention that utilizes visual feedback, motion and sensory discrimination training in CLBP patients.

Methods: Thirty patients of an outpatient orthopaedic rehabilitation unit were randomly assigned to either feedback or control group. In addition to standard treatment, patients of the feedback group received 6 feedback sessions where they watched the image of their back during a brief 2-point discrimination training and, after that, while they were tilting their pelvis up and down on the left and right side using their lumbar musculus multifidus solely. The control group received 6 sessions consisting of 2 units of physiotherapy, relaxation training and movement training (walking) each.

Results: A significant effect on self-reported pain and sensory discrimination threshold could be found for the feedback intervention, while, as expected, other pain related variables, like pain anxiety, pain vigilance, depression and cognitive appraisal of pain remained unchanged.

Conclusions: These findings imply that very simple feedback interventions without major technical requirements could be a valuable supplement to standard treatment in CLBP.

Keywords: Low back pain; cortical reorganisation; tactile acuity; training; visual feedback.