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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2024 May 28;19(5):e0294302.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294302. eCollection 2024.

Effects of pain education on disability, pain, quality of life, and self-efficacy in chronic low back pain: A randomized controlled trial

Mohammad Sidiq  1 , Tufail Muzaffar  2 , Balamurugan Janakiraman  3   4 , Shariq Masoodi  5 , Rajkumar Krishnan Vasanthi  6 , Arunachalam Ramachandran  4 , Nitesh Bansal  7 , Aksh Chahal  1 , Faizan Zaffar Kashoo  8 , Moattar Raza Rizvi  9 , Ankita Sharma  9 , Richa Hirendra Rai  10 , Rituraj Verma  1 , Monika Sharma  1 , Sajjad Alam  1 , Krishna Reddy Vajrala  1 , Jyoti Sharma  1 , Ramprasad Muthukrishnan  11
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effects of pain education on disability, pain, quality of life, and self-efficacy in chronic low back pain: A randomized controlled trial

Mohammad Sidiq et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: Low back pain stands as a prevalent contributor to pain-related disability on a global scale. In addressing chronic low back pain (CLBP), there is a growing emphasis on incorporating psychological strategies into the management process. Among these, pain education interventions strive to reshape pain beliefs and mitigate the perceived threat of pain. This randomized controlled trial sought to assess the effects of pain education on various aspects, including pain levels, disability, quality of life, self-efficacy, and prognostic characteristics in individuals grappling with CLBP.

Methods: The clinical trial, retrospectively registered with the Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI/2021/08/035963), employed a two-arm parallel randomized design. Ninety-two participants with CLBP were randomly assigned to either the standard physiotherapy care with a pain education program or the control group. Both groups underwent a 6-week intervention. Assessment of pain intensity (using NPRS), disability (using RMDQ), self-efficacy (using the general self-efficacy scale), and well-being (using WHO 5I) occurred both before and after the 6-week study intervention.

Findings: Post-intervention score comparisons between the groups revealed that the pain education intervention led to a significant reduction in disability compared to the usual standard care at 6 weeks (mean difference 8.2, p < 0.001, effect size Cohen d = 0.75), a decrease in pain intensity (mean difference 3.5, p < 0.001, effect size Cohen d = 0.82), and an improvement in the well-being index (mean difference 13.7, p < 0.001, effect size Cohen d = 0.58).

Conclusion: The findings suggest that integrating a pain education program enhances the therapeutic benefits of standard physiotherapy care for individuals dealing with chronic LBP. In conclusion, the clinical benefits of pain education become apparent when delivered in conjunction with standard care physiotherapy during the management of chronic low back pain.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. CONSORT flow diagram of the study.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Mean difference of pre-test and post-test scores of RMDQ, VAS, GSF, and WHO5QI in control and experimental groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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