Short- and medium-term effects of a single session of pain neuroscience education on pain and psychological factors in patients with chronic low back pain. A single-blind randomized clinical trial.

研究概要

One hundred thirteen patients with chronic low back pain were randomized to receive either a standard Back School program over five weeks (n=57) or the same program with an additional single 60-minute session of pain neuroscience education (n=56). The primary outcome of interest was pain intensity, measured using the Numerical Pain Rating Scale. Secondary outcomes included central sensitization (Central Sensitization Inventory), pain catastrophizing (Pain Catastrophizing Scale), and kinesiophobia (Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia), assessed at baseline, five weeks, and 12 weeks. Overall, the results showed that the additional pain neuroscience education session did not significantly reduce pain intensity compared to Back School alone. However, it led to significant improvements in central sensitization and pain catastrophizing at the 12-week follow-up. These findings suggest that a single session of pain neuroscience education may have psychological benefits for chronic low back pain patients, even if it does not directly impact pain intensity.