Motor skill training in musculoskeletal pain: a case report in chronic low back pain.
Vanessa M Lanier, Catherine E Lang, Linda R Van Dillen
PMID 29644888WHAT IT FOUND
A man with chronic low back pain reported less pain, less medication use, and met sitting, standing, and bed mobility goals after six motor skill training visits over 12 weeks.
This describes his experience, not proof that the training works.
Key findings
01By the end of the 12-week intervention, the patient reached his goal level of function for standing and sitting activities, and bed mobility.
02Self-reports of pain, functional limitation, and medication use decreased over the intervention and continued to improve at the 3-month follow-up.
03His pain and function minimally regressed at the 9-month follow-up, but improvements remained compared with baseline.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
This is a single case report, so it cannot show that motor skill training causes improvement. There was no comparison group, and the authors state that other factors, such as education or encouragement, could have contributed to his outcomes. The intervention was not evaluated for efficacy, and a randomized controlled trial was still underway. Outcomes were self-reported pain, function, medication use, and adherence. The patient had no imaging studies and an unremarkable medical history, so the result may not apply to people with different findings.
Declared interests
The authors report no other declarations of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that motor skill training works for chronic low back pain. It describes a single patient’s improvement without a comparison group, and the authors state the intervention has not been evaluated for efficacy.