A form of talking therapy that aims to help people with chronic lower back pain accept their condition has been described as a “credible and promising treatment” by Arthritis Research UK.
A study found that patients got the best results from a combination of both talking therapy and physiotherapy as it addressed both the psychological and physical aspects of their back pain.
Arthritis Research UK said contextual cognitive behavioural therapy (CCBT) focuses on accepting pain that cannot be cured, encouraging patients to learn to live life to the full amid the pain.
The study saw 89 patients randomly receive either CCBT or physiotherapy for eight weeks. CCBT was delivered by trained psychologists on a one-to-one basis and comprising up to eight sessions, while physiotherapy involved group exercises.
Participants had all suffered lower back pain for at least three months, leading to psychological distress and avoidance of everyday activities.
Lead researcher, Tamar Pincus from the department of psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London, said: “Our study found that CCBT is acceptable to patients, but interestingly many patients who took part, as well as several of the clinicians involved – both psychologists and physiotherapists – thought the best treatment was a combination of both physiotherapy and CCBT.
“Patients and clinicians felt the best solution would be to deal with both physical difficulties and psychological problems.”
The team noted that patients said they preferred their talking therapy to be on a one-to-one basis with a psychologist rather than as a group activity led by physiotherapists, which is how it tends to be done.
Stephen Simpson, director of research programmes at Arthritis Research UK, said: “We know that for some people with chronic low back pain psychological stress is a major factor, and therefore there is a significant challenge to find effective treatments.
“This pilot study has shown that combining physical and psychological approaches could be the way forward to treat this common, often disabling condition more effectively.”
The research is published in the BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders journal online.