A Cross-Sectional Study Assessing Treatment Preference of People With Chronic Low Back Pain.
Sara J Francois, Vanessa M Lanier, Andrej V Marich and 2 others
PMID 29852151WHAT IT FOUND
Most patients with chronic low back pain preferred strength and flexibility exercises over motor skill training.
Those who preferred strength work rated it higher on all attributes. Motor skill training preference was not linked to higher ratings of its specific features.
Key findings
01Of the 104 participants who had a treatment preference, 95 preferred strength and flexibility exercises, while only nine preferred motor skill training.
02Participants who preferred strength and flexibility rated that treatment higher than motor skill training on overall score and all four attributes: effectiveness, acceptability, suitability, and convenience.
03Participants who preferred motor skill training did not rate the two treatments differently on overall score or any individual attribute.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study only looked at two specific exercise types. Preferences may differ completely for other treatments like manual therapy, education, or different exercise protocols. Participants were asked to rate attributes before stating their preference, which may have influenced their choice. The group preferring motor skill training was very small (nine people), making it hard to draw firm conclusions about why they preferred it. The treatment preference assessment tool has limited documentation of its reliability and validity. Participants had to meet strict criteria for the original trial (e.g., no serious spinal pathology, no litigation), so results may not apply to complex or litigating patients.
Declared interests
The research was supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIH). No conflicts of interest are reported in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the high preference for strength and flexibility as evidence that it is more effective than motor skill training. This study measured what patients wanted before treatment, not what actually worked. The small number of people who preferred motor skill training did not rate it higher than strength training on any attribute, so preference did not align with perceived effectiveness for that group.