Photo Credit: Svitlana Hulko

The following is a summary of “Association between physical intervention use and treatment outcomes in patients participating in an online and psychologically informed pain management program,” published in the June 2024 issue of Pain by McNaughton, et al.

Limited access to multidisciplinary chronic pain care exists beyond specialized centers.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study investigating whether physical intervention use alongside an online pain management program influenced treatment outcomes.

They analyzed data from two prior RCTs of an online psychological pain management program. Physical intervention (categorized as None, 1–3 sessions, 4+ sessions) was measured at baseline, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up. Primary outcomes were depression, anxiety, pain intensity, and pain-related disability. Using generalized estimating equation models, treatment outcomes across different frequencies and durations of physical intervention were compared. The study investigated whether changes in primary outcomes varied depending on the duration and category of physical intervention exposure.

The results showed that of the 1,074 patients who completed the baseline questionnaire in both RCTs, 44% reported using physical interventions initially, decreasing to 38% post-treatment and 42% at the 3-month follow-up. Overall, moderate to large reductions were available in all outcomes from baseline to post-treatment (Cohen’s disease = 0.36–0.82). However, the interaction between time and physical intervention exposure did not reach statistical significance across all outcomes.

Investigators found that many patients in a psychological pain management program used physical interventions concurrently, but the frequency and duration of the interventions did not seem to impact treatment outcomes.

Source: academic.oup.com/painmedicine/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/pm/pnae044/7693049