title: Fear and difficulty perceived when visualizing therapeutic exercise in patients with chronic low back pain: A cross-sectional study.
abstract: The main aim of this study was to evaluate the perceived level of difficulty and fear of movement among patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) compared with asymptomatic subjects when they visualized motor control therapeutic exercises (MCTEs) commonly used in physiotherapy. Our secondary objective was to analyse the correlation between fear of MCTEs and other psychological and disability variables. Thirty patients with CLBP comprised the treatment group, and 30 asymptomatic subjects comprised the control group. The procedure consisted of showing photographs and videos of seven MCTEs and having the participants rate their perceived difficulty and fear. Participants then answered a series of psychological self-report measures. Differences were found between groups in perceived difficulty of the MCTEs shown in videos (F=21.06, P<0.001) and photographs (F=15.86, P<0.001), as well as for perceived fear (F=9.71, P<0.001; F=8.61, P<0.001, respectively). Regression analysis indicated that in the CLBP group the predictor variable for perceived difficulty and fear was the lumbar disability (explaining 44% and 28% of the variance, respectively), however in the control group the predictor variables were catastrophizing and self-efficacy (38% and 34% of the variance, respectively). In conclusion, patients with CLBP experience greater perceived level of difficulty and fear of movement when visualizing MCTEs than asymptomatic subjects. Psychological factors and disability were correlated with perceived difficulty and fear when videos and photographs of exercises were shown.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Science, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Aravaca, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pérez-Fernández
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Science, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Aravaca, Madrid, Spain; Research Group on Movement and Behavioral Science and Study of Pain, The Center for Advanced Studies University La Salle, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Aravaca, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lerma-Lara
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Science, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Aravaca, Madrid, Spain; Research Group on Movement and Behavioral Science and Study of Pain, The Center for Advanced Studies University La Salle, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Aravaca, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ferrer-Peña
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Science, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Aravaca, Madrid, Spain; Research Group on Movement and Behavioral Science and Study of Pain, The Center for Advanced Studies University La Salle, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Aravaca, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Neuroscience and Craniofacial Pain (INDCRAN), Madrid, Spain; Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research, IdiPAZ. Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gil-Martínez
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Science, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Aravaca, Madrid, Spain; Research Group on Movement and Behavioral Science and Study of Pain, The Center for Advanced Studies University La Salle, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Aravaca, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Neuroscience and Craniofacial Pain (INDCRAN), Madrid, Spain; Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research, IdiPAZ. Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ibai
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: López-de-Uralde-Villanueva
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Science, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Aravaca, Madrid, Spain; Research Group on Movement and Behavioral Science and Study of Pain, The Center for Advanced Studies University La Salle, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Aravaca, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Neuroscience and Craniofacial Pain (INDCRAN), Madrid, Spain; Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research, IdiPAZ. Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Alba
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paris-Alemany
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Science, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Aravaca, Madrid, Spain; Research Group on Movement and Behavioral Science and Study of Pain, The Center for Advanced Studies University La Salle, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Aravaca, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Neuroscience and Craniofacial Pain (INDCRAN), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Héctor
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Beltrán-Alacreu
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Science, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Aravaca, Madrid, Spain; Research Group on Movement and Behavioral Science and Study of Pain, The Center for Advanced Studies University La Salle, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Aravaca, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Neuroscience and Craniofacial Pain (INDCRAN), Madrid, Spain; Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research, IdiPAZ. Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Roy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: La Touche
keywords: Exercise; Fear-avoidance beliefs; Recurrent low back pain; Self-efficacy