Impact of a functional restoration program on pain and health-related quality of life in patients with chronic low back pain.
OBJECTIVE
Functional restoration programs for chronic low back pain (CLBP) have been shown to be successful in improving function and, to a lesser extent, in reducing pain. The Munich Functional Restoration Program (MFRP) is a 4-week outpatient program designed to reduce pain and to improve health-related quality of life in patients with a long history of CLBP.


METHODS
In a retrospective matched concurrent-controls therapeutic study, 44 patients with CLBP, who had either undergone MFRP or received an outpatient standard treatment (control) after initial evaluation at the pain center, completed questionnaires 1 year after the respective therapy (t1). The following parameters were assessed: health-related quality of life with Short Form-36 (SF-36), Pain Disability Index (PDI), Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for pain, depression with the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Test (CES-D), and occupational situation. These data were compared with baseline values assessed by a questionnaire completed before starting the respective treatment (baseline, t0).


RESULTS
Compared with control, NRS and PDI were significantly better in patients completing the MFRP. Patients of the MFRP group showed also a significant reduction in CES-D as well as an improvement in three of eight SF-36 subscales. No changes were detected in the control group receiving standard treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Compared with standard treatment, a functional restoration program for CLBP significantly improves some aspects of health-related quality of life. It results in a decrease of pain and pain-related disability even in patients with a long history of CLBP.
Huge
Volker
V
Department of Anaesthesiology, Interdisciplinary Pain Clinic, Klinikum Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Marchioninistrasse 15, Munich 81377, Germany. vhuge@med.uni-muenchen.de
Schloderer
Ulrike
U
Steinberger
Martin
M
Wuenschmann
Bernt
B
Schöps
Peter
P
Beyer
Antje
A
Azad
Shahnaz C
SC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018710:Pain Clinics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000523:psychology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013995:Time; D016896:Treatment Outcome