Cognitive Functional Therapy Effective for Chronic Low Back Pain at Three Years
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 6, 2025 -- Cognitive functional therapy (CFT), with or without biofeedback, is more effective than usual care for treating patients with chronic disabling low back pain, according to a study published online Aug. 5 in The Lancet Rheumatology.
Mark Hancock, Ph.D., from the Spinal Pain Research Center at Macquarie University in Sydney, and colleagues conducted a randomized, three-arm parallel-group phase 3 trial to compare the long-term effectiveness of CFT, delivered with or without movement sensor biofeedback, and usual care for the treatment of chronic low back pain. Adults with low back pain lasting more than three months, with at least moderate pain-related physical activity limitation, were recruited and randomly assigned to usual care, CFT only, or CFT plus biofeedback (165, 164, and 163 patients, respectively). Overall, 312 participants were successfully followed up at three years.
The researchers found that compared with usual care, CFT only and CFT plus biofeedback were both more effective in reducing activity limitation at three years (mean difference, −3.5 and −4.1, respectively). Small and nonsignificant differences were seen between CFT only and CFT plus biofeedback. CFT only and CFT plus biofeedback were also more effective than usual care for pain intensity at three years (mean difference, −1.0 and −1.5, respectively); small and nonsignificant differences were seen between CFT only and CFT plus biofeedback.
"CFT produces clinically important effects for activity limitation at three-year follow-up," the authors write. "These long-term effects are novel and provide the opportunity to markedly reduce the effect of chronic back pain if the intervention can be widely implemented."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Read this next
Acupuncture Beneficial for Chronic Low Back Pain in Older Adults
THURSDAY, Sept. 18, 2025 -- For older adults with chronic low back pain (CLBP), acupuncture is associated with improved CLBP-related disability and benefits in pain intensity...
Childhood Loneliness Linked to Cognitive Decline in Adulthood
MONDAY, Sept. 16, 2025 -- Childhood loneliness is associated with cognitive decline and dementia risk in adulthood, according to a study published online Sept. 12 in JAMA Network...
Tinnitus Linked to Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults
THURSDAY, Sept. 11, 2025 -- In adults aged 60 years and older, tinnitus, especially severe and prolonged tinnitus, is significantly associated with cognitive impairment, according...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.