Bridging the gap: support groups do not enhance long-term outcome in chronic back pain.
OBJECTIVE
Because back pain patients often relapse within months of treatment, the effects of two types of support groups as a complement to usual medical treatment was investigated on long-term outcome.


METHODS
Regular treatment was compared with an "educational" support group and a professional support group before and 1 year after intervention in a randomized controlled trial.


METHODS
A total of 76 women and 27 men, average age of 50 years and with an accumulated sick leave for musculoskeletal pain of 2-24 weeks during the past year, were randomly assigned to the three groups.


METHODS
Sick leave records were obtained from the National Insurance Authority. A battery of standardized instruments was employed, which featured the Sickness Impact Profile, the Coping Strategies Questionnaire, the Multidimensional Pain Inventory, the Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale, the Pain and Discomfort Scale, the Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory, and the Outcome Evaluation Questionnaire.


RESULTS
The Educational Support Group demonstrated greater attendance than did the Professional Support Group. However, long-term outcome was not significantly different between any of the groups for sick leave, coping, function, or experienced pain. Both support groups, relative to the Regular Treatment Group, made greater improvements on the Sickness Impact Profile.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides little evidence that support groups, as a complement to regular treatment, enhance long-term outcome for subacute musculoskeletal pain problems. Specific treatment techniques, matched to the patient's needs, stringently taught, and delivered in a more compact form, may be necessary for enhancing outcome.
Linton
S J
SJ
Orebro Medical Center, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sweden.
Hellsing
A L
AL
Larsson
I
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001416:Back Pain / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D018582:Sick Leave; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires