Psychological Variables in Physiotherapy Treatment of Low Back Pain: A Comparison of Group and Individual Treatment

Overview

The purpose of the study is to determent whether there is a difference between two types of treatments in physiotherapy (individual vs group) for patients with low back pain (LBP), in terms of their sensation of how they have been helped and their treatments' outcomes measures. The study hypothesizes are: a) Based on the results of literature review which does not reveal a clear difference between group and individual treatments' outcomes for LBP, it is hypothesized that no difference will be found in treatment results for the two types of group treatments in the present study also, b) The assumption is that different distribution of therapeutic factors will be found in the two types of treatments (individual, group), C) Patients' sensation of how they have been helped will be connected to treatment results.

200 patients with LBP looking for physiotherapy treatment in 15 clinics at Maccabi Healthcare Service in Israel will be recruited. (100 after competion individual therapy, 100 after competion of group therapy). As part of the regular routine in these clinics, patients will be asked to fill the LFSQ, a questionnaire which deals with their back functional status, their level of pain and fear avoidance of physical activity before and after treatment. In the present study, patients will be asked to fill the LFSQ again, 6 months after treatment completion. In two weeks from treatment completion, patients will be interviewed on the telephone. The interview will focuse on their sensation of how they have been helped. It will include an open-ended question and 18 closed questions. The main study variables will include: participants' perception of functional status, level pain, level of fear avoidance of physical activity, patient-therapist bonding, and helpful therapeutic impacts (client's sense of how she or he has been helped).

Conditions