Groundbreaking treatment offers relief to severe, persistent lower back pain patients, with effects lasting over extended periods.
In a groundbreaking development, cognitive functional therapy (CFT) has shown promising results in providing lasting relief for individuals suffering from chronic lower back pain. The findings, initially published in The Lancet Rheumatology in 2023 and recently updated with three-year follow-up data, demonstrate that CFT can significantly reduce pain and improve function for up to three years[1][2][5].
The RESTORE trial, conducted in Australia, involved over 300 adults who had been grappling with moderate back pain that limited their daily activities[5]. Both CFT alone and CFT combined with biofeedback were found to be significantly more effective than usual care in reducing activity limitations and pain intensity at the three-year mark, with no significant difference between the two CFT groups[5].
CFT is a holistic approach that combines physical, psychological, and lifestyle coaching to help patients understand and manage their pain, overcome fear of movement, and regain confidence[1][2][3]. During the sessions, participants were encouraged to share their pain stories to understand the causes of their discomfort. They were then guided through movements and activities that they previously found painful, feared, or avoided, to help them manage their pain[1][3].
At the end of the sessions, patients received lifestyle guidance on healthy habits such as regular physical activity, improved sleep, diet, and regular socializing. The therapy, delivered across several sessions by trained physiotherapists, aims to build confidence and equip patients with strategies to better manage their pain[1][2][3].
Dr Matt Hancock, a physiotherapist at Macquarie University, led the study. He stated that CFT offers a high-value, low-risk intervention with long-term benefits for patients with persistent, disabling lower back pain[4]. The success of CFT is attributed to its ability to reduce fear of certain actions that had caused pain and make participants less likely to avoid these behaviors[1][3].
The therapy has significant implications, given that an estimated 75 to 85 percent of Americans experience back pain at some point during their lifetimes, while 25 million currently suffer from lower back pain[4]. Participants in the study were, on average, 47 years old, overweight, and had been seeking care for the pain for four years[4].
After three years, those who received CFT were still reporting lower pain levels and fewer limits on movement than those who received typical care[1][2][3][5]. The researchers are now calling on doctors to begin recommending the therapy for all patients, claiming it to be a cost-effective method of relieving back pain[4].
[1] https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2665-9913(23)00116-1/fulltext [2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665991323001161 [3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9478354/ [4] https://www.macquarie.edu/news/releases/cognitive-therapy-offers-long-term-benefits-for-chronic-back-pain [5] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41581-023-01440-6
- Cognitive functional therapy (CFT) could potentially offer relief for individuals dealing with various chronic diseases, given its proven effectiveness in managing persistent lower back pain.
- Traditional medical-conditions treatments may benefit from incorporating health-and-wellness strategies, as demonstrated by the successful integration of CFT, fitness-and-exercise, and mental-health elements in the therapy.
- As more research reveals the long-term benefits of CFT, it may become a preferred treatment option not only for chronic-kidney-disease patients but also for those suffering from chronic-diseases that cause pain and affect daily function.
- CBD, a popular complementary therapy, could potentially be combined with holistic approaches like CFT to provide comprehensive pain management, especially for individuals battling chronic lower back pain.
- Additionally, implementing CFT for chronic-conditions management could lead to significant cost-savings, as it proves to be an affordable solution for a large portion of the population dealing with chronic-diseases like chronic lower back pain.
