Efficacy of a Classification Based 'Cognitive Functional Therapy' in Nurses With Non Specific Chronic Low Back Pain

Low back pain (LBP) is a common, recalcitrant and costly health problem, which limits patients' daily activities. In 85% of the cases, LBP is classified as 'non-specific', which means there is no clear underlying patho-anatomical/radiological abnormality. This subgroup often gives rise to a chronic fluctuating problem. Although most cases of LBP resolve within 8 to 12 weeks, it may become chronic in up to 15% of patients. LBP constitutes an enormous and growing medical and socio-economical problem for the modern society. Nursing has been identified amongst the top professions at risk for occupational LBP, with lifetime prevalence between 66%-82%. The impact of LBP for nurses includes time off work, increased risk of chronicity, associated personal and economic costs and reduced nursing workforce efficiency.

Non Specific Chronic Low Back Pain (NSCLBP) is widely viewed as a multifactorial biopsychosocial pain syndrome. It has been proposed by several authors that NSCLBP represents a vicious cycle associated with different combinations of maladaptive; cognitive (negative beliefs, fear avoidance behaviours, catastrophising, depression, stress, lack of pacing and coping), physical (pain provocative postures, movement patterns and pain behaviours) and lifestyle (inactivity, rest) behaviours that act to promote pain and disability. However a recent systematic review suggests that this change in paradigm and the investigators new understanding of NSCLBP has not resulted in clinical trials utilizing multidimensional classification systems or targeted interventions based on the underlying mechanisms. In line with this paradigm shift a novel multidimensional classification system has been developed incorporating the biopsychosocial model, which subgroups patients based on their underlying pain mechanism. Enabling a classification based interventions targetting the maladaptive cognitive, physical and lifestyle behaviours associated with the disorder.

Inclusion criteria

• Low Back Pain (LBP) with/without referred pain in buttock/thigh for > 3 months, including the four weeks prior to testing
• LBP is primarily localised from T12 to gluteal folds
• mechanical provocation of LBP with postures, movement and activities
• average pain intensity in the past week Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) >/= 1/10
• Disability (ODI) >/=2%
• willingness to sign the informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• specific spinal pathology
• presence of red flags
• previous lumbar spinal surgery
• pregnancy
• diagnosed psychiatric disorder - somatisation
• radicular pain with positive neural tissue provocation test
• widespread non-specific pain disorder (no primary LBP focus)
• specific diagnoses: active rheumatologic disease, progressive neurological disease, serious cardiac or other internal medical condition, malignant basic diseases, acute traumas, infections, or acute vascular catastrophes