RealHealth reduces healthcare utilisation in patients with chronic low back pain

An intensive pain management programme reduces healthcare utilisation in patients with chronic low back pain:

Results after 2 years follow-up

van Hooff, M. L., Ter Avest, W., Horsting, P. P., O’Dowd, J., de Kleuver, M., van Lankveld, W., & van Limbeek, J. (2012). A short, intensive cognitive behavioral pain management program reduces health-care use in patients with chronic low back pain: two-year follow-up results of a prospective cohort. European Spine Journal, 21(7), 1257-1264.

What is the study about?

This study examined the long-term effects of the intensive 2-week RealHealth pain management programme, 2 years after completion.

How was the study conducted?

Of the 90 eligible patients, 85 (94%) participated in a structured telephone interview 2 years after the programme. The researchers compared the results with measurements from before treatment and after 1 year. They looked not only at functioning, quality of life and pain, but also at how much care the patients still used: visits to GPs and specialists, pain medication and whether people had returned to work.

The results:

• The improvements after 1 year remained stable after 2 years – no relapse

• More than 65% maintained a clinically relevant improvement

• 73% had not visited a GP or specialist for their back problems in the past year (whilst everyone had done so before treatment)

• 57% no longer used any pain medication at all

• The use of strong painkillers (opioids) dropped to 14% of patients

• 81% of patients had returned to work

What is remarkable?

This is one of the few studies showing that the effects of an intensive pain management programme not only persist, but also lead to reduced healthcare utilisation. People learnt to manage their pain themselves and consequently required far less care.

What does this mean in practice?

If you've been going from doctor to doctor for years, using more and more medication and perhaps can no longer work because of your back pain, this programme could be a turning point. The results show that participants still function better 2 years after the programme. The majority of participants no longer visited a GP or specialist, used no painkillers and had returned to work. You learn to manage your pain yourself, making you more independent of healthcare services.