Effects of cognitive behavioral therapy combined with physical therapy on improving outcomes in chronic low back pain.
Thị Hang Tran, Van Minh Pham
PMID 40511311WHAT IT FOUND
Adding six cognitive behavioral therapy sessions to standard physical therapy for chronic low back pain produced greater reductions in pain, disability, and fear of movement than physical therapy alone after 12 weeks.
Key findings
01The group receiving physical therapy plus cognitive behavioral therapy showed significantly better outcomes in pain, disability, kinesiophobia, and daily functioning than the group receiving physical therapy alone.
02Pain scores on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale dropped from 5.52 to 1.16 in the combined therapy group, compared to a drop from 4.97 to 2.09 in the physical therapy only group.
03Fear of movement scores on the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia decreased substantially in the combined therapy group (45.77 to 22.52) but changed minimally in the physical therapy only group (45.66 to 42.16).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted in a specific cultural and clinical context in Vietnam, which may affect how generalizable the CBT delivery and outcomes are to other settings. The CBT was delivered by a clinical physician rather than a dedicated psychologist or therapist, which might influence the fidelity or depth of the psychological intervention. The follow-up period was only 12 weeks, so it is unclear if the benefits of adding CBT persist long-term. The study did not blind participants or assessors to the treatment allocation, which could introduce bias in self-reported outcomes like pain and disability.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflict of interest and no funding was received.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that physical therapy alone is ineffective for chronic low back pain. Both groups improved significantly in pain and function; the combined therapy group simply improved more, particularly in reducing fear of movement.