PNE Effectiveness Cluster Trial

Chronic Pain Clinical Trial

— PNE  

Official title:

The Effectiveness of Training Physical Therapists in Pain Neuroscience Education on Patient Reported Outcomes for Patients With Chronic Spinal Pain

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT03168165
• Other study ID #: 00097154
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: May 24, 2017
• Est. completion date: June 1, 2019

Study information

• Verified date: July 2020
• Source: University of Utah
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This is a cluster randomized trial that involves training regions of physical therapy clinics to use pain neuroscience education or continue with usual care. The investigators will examine outcomes for patients with chronic neck or back pain.

Description:

Chronic spinal pain is a very common and costly condition. An estimated 26.4% of Americans have experienced an episode low back pain (LBP) and 13.8% have experienced neck pain in the past 3 months. Lifetime prevalence of spinal pain ranges from 54% to 80% and the estimated healthcare costs for those with spinal pain are 57% higher than those without. While many with acute LBP have a favorable prognosis, those who develop chronic pain continue will experience persistent poor health and place a large burden on the healthcare system.

With growing healthcare costs and mounting disability, there is increased demand for physical therapists to promote more effective self-management strategies for patients with chronic spinal pain. Education is a critical component of self-management. Pain neuroscience education (PNE) is an education method used by physical therapists to help patients understand the biology, physiology and psychological factors influencing their pain experience and to reconcile faulty cognitions and beliefs associated with persistent pain and disability8. PNE has been shown to have positive effects on patient-reported outcomes for a variety of spinal pain conditions. This study will examine the impact of widespread implementation of PNE into routine physical therapy care.

The proposed mechanism of PNE is proposed to relate changes in patients' conceptualization of the pain experience, specifically concepts associated with fear, knowledge, and beliefs of pain. Additional research has identified autonomous motivation and self-efficacy as relevant to patients' behavioral responses to pain. Autonomous motivation is proposed to be an essential factor for behavior change, adhering to a treatment program and persistent positive health behavior changes. Autonomous motivation has not been examined as an influencing factor in the PNE model. Self-efficacy relates to the degree an individual feels they have control over their situation; and high self-efficacy has been associated with more active coping efforts. This study will examine self-efficacy and autonomous motivation as potential mediators of the ability of a PNE intervention improve functional outcomes in a pragmatic clinical environment.

This project's overall goal is to determine the effectiveness of providing physical therapists with PNE training on patient-centered outcomes (physical function and pain interference) for patients with chronic neck or back pain receiving physical therapy. Secondarily, the investigators will explore mechanisms of effects of PNE by examining the role of autonomous motivation and self-efficacy. To accomplish these goals, the investigators will conduct a cluster-randomized clinical trial, randomly assigning groups of clinics to receive PNE training or usual care with no additional training for physical therapists working in the clinic. This design allows for maximum external validity and generalizability across outpatient physical therapy clinics.

Primary Aims I. Compare effectiveness of PNE training vs. no additional training for physical therapists on patient-centered outcomes (physical function and pain interference) for patients with chronic spinal pain. The investigators hypothesize patients receiving treatment from physical therapists receiving PNE education will show greater improvement in patient-centered outcomes.

Secondary Aims I. Compare the effects of PNE training vs. no additional training for physical therapists on the patient-physical therapist alliance. The investigators hypothesize patients receiving treatment from physical therapists receiving PNE education will show greater alliance with their physical therapist.

II. Explore the mediating effects of autonomous motivation and self-efficacy on patient-centered outcomes. The investigators hypothesize autonomous motivation and/or self-efficacy will mediate the effects of education on patient-centered outcomes.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 316
• Est. completion date: June 1, 2019
• Est. primary completion date: June 1, 2019
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years to 75 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 18-75 at time of first physical therapy session

• Primary reason for physical therapy is low back and/or neck pain

• Meets the NIH definition of chronic pain (i.e., neck or back pain on at least half the days in the past 6 months.)

Exclusion Criteria:

• No spinal surgery within the previous 12 months

• No evidence of "red flag" conditions (e.g., cauda equine syndrome, cancer, fracture, infection or systemic disease) that requires immediate referral from physical therapy to medical care

• Not currently known to be pregnant

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Chronic Pain
• Low Back Pain
• Neck Pain

Intervention

Other:
• Pain neuroscience education training
PNE training will consist of 6 weeks online training followed by one day training session.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Benchmark Physical Therapy	Acworth	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Alpharetta	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Atlanta	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Atlanta	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Atlanta	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Atlanta	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Atlanta	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Atlanta	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Austell	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Birmingham	Alabama
United States	BenchMark	Birmingham	Alabama
United States	BenchMark	Canton	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Canton	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Carrollton	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Cartersville	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Columbus	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Dallas	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Decatur	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Dunwoody	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Helena	Alabama
United States	BenchMark	Hiram	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Hoover	Alabama
United States	BenchMark	Jasper	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Kennesaw	Georgia
United States	Rehab South	Lawrenceville	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Marietta	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Marietta	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Marietta	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Marietta	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Marietta	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Moody	Alabama
United States	Rehab South	Newnan	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Peachtree City	Georgia
United States	Rehab South	Peachtree City	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Phenix City	Alabama
United States	BenchMark	Roswell	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Roswell	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Roswell	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Smyrna	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Suwanee	Georgia
United States	BenchMark	Tucker	Georgia

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Utah

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Physical Function	Change score of Physical Function scores from baseline	2 week and 12 week
Secondary	Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pain Interference	Change score of Pain Interference scores from baseline	2 week and 12 week
Secondary	pain self-efficacy	Measured by Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire	2 week and 12 week
Secondary	Autonomous motivation	Measured by Treatment Self-regulation Questionnaire	2 week and 12 week
Secondary	Therapeutic Alliance	As measured by Working Alliance Theory of Change Inventory	2 week and 12 week