Managing chronic back pain: impact of an interdisciplinary team approach.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of a six-week outpatient program in pain management for patients with chronic back pain.


METHODS
Retrospective review.


METHODS
Rehabilitation Clinical Business Unit, Essendon campus of the Royal Melbourne Hospital.


METHODS
138 consecutive patients who participated in the unit's Chronic Back Pain Programme between 1991 and 1993.


METHODS
Multidisciplinary program that promoted pain management rather than "cure", with two six-hour group sessions per week for six weeks.


METHODS
Patient assessments before the program and at program completion and at three months' follow-up, with the West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory (WHYMPI) and a four-minute walk test.


RESULTS
At program completion, the WHYMPI showed significant decreases in the amount pain interfered with life and significant increases in patient sense of control and activity level. However, severity of pain remained the same. All these effects were maintained three months later.


CONCLUSIONS
A brief outpatient program was effective in improving pain management in a group of chronic back pain sufferers. This seems a useful and relatively inexpensive option in managing this problematic group of patients.
Flavell
H A
HA
Rehabilitation Clinical Business Unit, Royal Melbourne Hospital, VIC.
Carrafa
G P
GP
Thomas
C H
CH
Disler
P B
PB
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001416:Back Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D018710:Pain Clinics; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010166:Palliative Care; D010348:Patient Care Team; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome