MEDICATION, PHYSIOTHERAPY AND COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC BACK PAIN: A CLINICAL TRIAL

Chronic back pain is a burdening health problem, both at an individual level (in terms of pain, disability, emotional distress associated) and at a more general, society level (important costs resulting from treatment and disability, loss of working capability). Current clinical guidelines recommend drug therapy, physiokinetotherapy and psychotherapy in the treatment of chronic back pain. Our objective for this study was to analyze the efficiency of combining these treatments into three treatment conditions (medication alone, medication and physiokinetotherapy, medication, physiokinetotherapy and CBT). A total of 75 patients with chronic back pain were randomized to one of the three treatment conditions. The outcome measures were: pain intensity, disability related to back pain and emotional distress. Results show better pain outcomes for medication and physiokinetotherapy and medication, physiokinetotherapy and CBT as compared to the group receiving only medication. No significant between-group differences were found for disability related to back pain or emotional distress. Clinical implications of results and future study directions are discussed.