Abstract
Background Illness perceptions have been shown to predict patient activities. Therefore, studies of the effectiveness of a targeted illness-perception intervention on chronic nonspecific low back pain (CLBP) are needed.
Objective The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of treatment of illness perceptions against a waiting list for patients with CLBP.
Design This was a prospectively registered randomized controlled trial with an assessor blinded for group allocation.
Setting The study was conducted in an outpatient rehabilitation clinic.
Participants The participants were 156 patients (18–70 years of age) with CLBP (>3 months).
Intervention Patients were randomly assigned to either a treatment group or to a waiting list (control) group. Trained physical therapists and occupational therapists delivered 10 to 14 one-hour treatment sessions according to the treatment protocol.
Measurements The primary outcome measure was change in patient-relevant physical activities (Patient-Specific Complaints questionnaire). The secondary outcome measures were changes in illness perceptions (Illness Perceptions Questionnaire) and generic physical activity level (Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale). Measurements were taken at baseline (0 weeks) and after treatment (18 weeks).
Results A baseline-adjusted analysis of covariance showed that there were statistically significant differences between intervention and control groups at 18 weeks for the change in patient-relevant physical activities. This was a clinically relevant change (19.1 mm) for the intervention group. Statistically significant differences were found for the majority of illness perception scales. There were no significant differences in generic physical activity levels.
Limitations Longer-term effectiveness was not studied.
Conclusions This first trial evaluating cognitive treatment of illness perceptions concerning CLBP showed statistically significant and clinically relevant improvements in patient-relevant physical activities at 18 weeks.
Footnotes
All authors provided concept/idea/research design, writing, and consultation (including review of manuscript before submission). Dr Siemonsma, Dr Roorda, and Dr Vollebregt provided data collection. Dr Siemonsma, Dr Stuive, Dr Roorda, Dr Walker, Dr Lankhorst, and Dr Lettinga provided data analysis. Dr Siemonsma, Dr Roorda, Dr Vollebregt, Dr Walker, Dr Lankhorst, and Dr Lettinga provided project management. Dr Siemonsma, Dr Lankhorst, and Dr Lettinga provided fund procurement. Dr Roorda, Dr Vollebregt, Dr Walker, Dr Lankhorst, and Dr Lettinga provided institutional liaisons. Dr Roorda and Dr Vollebregt provided study participants.
The Medical Ethics Committee of Slotervaart Hospital, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, approved the study protocol (number 0541).
The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) supported Dr Siemonsma (grant no. 014-32-041).
The trial was registered with ISRCTN Register (identifier: ISRCTN35108886).
- Received May 9, 2011.
- Accepted November 8, 2012.
