Personalized Therapy May Offer Lasting Relief for Chronic Back Pain: Study Finds - Video

A personalized therapy program has shown sustained benefits for people with chronic low back pain, according to a new Australian study published in The Lancet Rheumatology. The RESTORE trial, conducted in Sydney and Perth, found that a targeted treatment known as Cognitive Functional Therapy (CFT) significantly reduced pain and improved physical function, with results maintained over a three-year follow-up period.

Low back pain is one of the most common and disabling conditions globally.

The RESTORE trial involved seven sessions of Cognitive Functional Therapy delivered by specially trained physiotherapists. This approach is based on a “biopsychosocial” model, which addresses not just physical symptoms but also the psychological and social factors that contribute to chronic pain.

The therapy is designed to break that cycle by giving patients tools to take charge of their pain. “CFT is about putting people in the driver’s seat: giving them the skills to manage their pain, and building their confidence to move, get active and back to living,” co-author Professor Peter O’Sullivan from Curtin University.

“Our findings suggest the massive burden of low back pain could be markedly reduced if health policies supported widespread implementation of high-value, low-risk and sustained interventions like CFT, instead of less effective, short-term and potentially harmful interventions like opioids or surgery,” says lead author Professor Mark Hancock, Professor of Physiotherapy at Macquarie University.

Unlike short-term solutions like medication or manual therapy, Cognitive Functional Therapy equips patients with lasting strategies.

Reference: Cognitive functional therapy with or without movement sensor biofeedback versus usual care for chronic, disabling low back pain (RESTORE): 3-year follow-up of a randomised, controlled trial, Hancock, Mark et al., The Lancet Rheumatology, Volume 0, Issue 0