Overview
This prospective study examines the impact of treatment expectations and depression on the outcomes of chronic low back pain (LBP) patients undergoing inpatient interdisciplinary multimodal pain therapy (IMPT). The study involved 200 patients and assessed pain intensity, disability, treatment expectations, and depression at three points: before, immediately after, and three months post-IMPT.
Key Findings
1. Treatment Expectations: Positive treatment expectations significantly predicted better outcomes in pain intensity and disability.
2. Depression’s Role: Depression was found to partially mediate the relationship between treatment expectations and pain outcomes, indicating that addressing depression could enhance the effectiveness of positive treatment expectations.
3. IMPT Efficacy: IMPT, which combines cognitive-behavioral, pharmacological, and physical therapies, was more effective than usual care in improving pain-related outcomes.
Implications
The results suggest the need for personalized treatment approaches in chronic pain management, emphasizing the importance of fostering positive treatment expectations and addressing depressive symptoms to improve patient outcomes.
References
• Authors: Claudia G. Levenig, Monika I. Hasenbring, Lea Günnewig, Christina Titze, Sigrid Elsenbruch, Tobias L. Schulte
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2024.104582
• Publication: The Journal of Pain, 2024
For more details, please refer to the full article:
