Cognitive functional therapy for lower back pain: A meta-analytical assessment of pain and disability outcomes in randomized controlled trials

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Kandeel, Mahmoud^{a; b; *} | Morsy, Mohamed A.^{c; d} | Khodair, Khalid M. Al^e | Alhojaily, Sameer^a

Affiliations: [a] Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia | [b] Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh, Egypt | [c] Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia | [d] Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, El-Minia, Egypt | [e] Department of Anatomy, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Mahmoud Kandeel, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. E-mail: mkandeel@kfu.edu.sa.

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Cognitive functional therapy (CFT) aims to address low back pain (LBP) comprehensively by considering physical, psychological, and social factors. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of CFT in reducing pain and disability in individuals with LBP over various time intervals. METHOD: A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of CFT on LBP. RESULTS: In this study, 1510 records were initially identified, and 7 studies were included in the analysis. Disability scores were significantly reduced after CFT had been applied for 6 to 8 weeks (SMD =-0.46, 95% CI [-0.74, -0.19]), 12 weeks to 3 months (SMD =-0.54, 95% CI [-0.72, -0.36]), 6 months (MD =-5.82, 95% CI [-9.82, -1.82]), and 12 months (SMD =-0.4, 95% CI [-0.55, -0.26]). There were also significant reductions in pain scores observed after 12 weeks to 3 months (SMD =-0.49, 95% CI [-0.68, -0.3]), 6 months (MD =-0.75, 95% CI [-1.5, -0.0001]), and 12 months (SMD =-0.27, 95% CI [-0.42, -0.12]). CONCLUSION: CFT showed potential for improving disability scores for individuals with LBP across various time intervals. However, its impacts on pain scores varied.

Keywords: Cognitive functional therapy, low back pain, randomized controlled trials, meta-analysis, pain scores, disability scores

DOI: 10.3233/BMR-240230

Journal: Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-11, 2024