title: Evaluation of the benefits of low back pain patients' education workshops during spa therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the medium-term impact of education workshops on low back pain (LBP) in the setting of a thermal spa on: fear-avoidance beliefs, disability, pain, and satisfaction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized prospective alternate-month design-type study including 360 individuals having thermal spa therapy for LBP: 188 in the intervention group (three standardized education workshops lasting 1 h 30 each and usual thermal therapy for 3 weeks), 172 in the control group (usual thermal therapy and non-standardized verbal information). The principal analysis criterion was the difference in the fear-avoidance beliefs (physical FABQ) score between baseline and 6 months after the therapy; secondary criteria were: evolution of disability (Quebec Scale) and pain intensity (Visual Analogue Scale), and satisfaction with the information received.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant reduction in the physical FABQ score at 6 months (P<0.05), and this reduction was more marked in the intervention group (-5.8±0.7 vs. -2±0.72 points out of 24; P<0.0001). Disability and pain significantly decreased in both groups (P<0.05), with no difference between groups. These workshops also had a significant effect on satisfaction with the information received.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Standardized education workshops have a beneficial impact on LBP and contribute to an improvement in the medical services provided during spa therapy by reducing the effect of fear-avoidance beliefs as well as relieving pain. Extending the use of such workshops could contribute to enhance the positive impact of spa therapy in the management of chronic disabling diseases.
authors.affiliation: Pôle rééducation réadaptation, CHU de Dijon, 23, rue Gaffarel, 21000 Dijon, France. vincent.gremeaux@orange.fr
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gremeaux
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Benaïm
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Poiraudeau
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hérisson
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dupeyron
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Coudeyre
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011446:Prospective Studies