UK HealthCare

Cognitive Therapies Prove Effective for Treating Low Back Pain

This column first appeared in the Lexington Herald-Leader on Nov. 22. 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 24, 2015) Low back pain affects 67 to 84 percent of people residing in industrialized nations, including the United States, and is responsible for more lost workdays than any other health condition.  

While a number of over-the-counter and prescription medications target the condition, non-medicinal therapies, including cognitive therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy, are also effective treatments for relieving low back pain. Cognitive therapy is a type of treatment that focuses on the relationship between thoughts, feelings and behaviors. During treatment, a therapist teaches patients about these relationships and how thought processes can be changed to improve health outcomes.

Many research studies describe the effectiveness of cognitive therapy to improve aspects of health such as pain, anxiety, depression and physical functioning in patients suffering from low back pain. A recent clinical trial found that over the course of a year cognitive therapy administered early to high-risk low back pain patients reduced pain and disability, and increased return-to-work rates.

Despite the known benefits of this therapy, researchers at the University of Kentucky’s College of Nursing conducted a study reporting that only 6 percent of low back pain patients in Kentucky and 8 percent of low back pain patients in the United States received cognitive therapy. Accessing cognitive therapy in Kentucky is difficult because there are few therapists available to administer the treatment. Cognitive therapy has been administered to some patients using technology such as a computer.

Researchers at the University of Kentucky are currently conducting a study that will examine the effects of a cognitive treatment in patients with low back pain. The study will administer cognitive therapy using mobile health technology, such as FaceTime and iPads. Researchers hope to learn more about the factors that impact the effectiveness of cognitive therapy and the effect of this therapy during specific time periods.

Individuals ages 18 years or older who are being treated for low back pain that was diagnosed by a health care provider and have experienced low back pain for less than three months are invited to participate in this research study. For more information about the study, please contact Elizabeth Salt at (859) 433-5393 or email: egsalt0@uky.edu

Elizabeth Salt is an associate professor with the University of Kentucky’s College of Nursing.