Effects of an online intervention in patients with low back pain: a randomized clinical trial

• Grant number: 23/07088-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2023
• End date: January 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Crystian Bitencourt Soares de Oliveira
• Grantee: Júlia Abrão Marques de Souza
• Host Institution: Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação. Universidade do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE). Presidente Prudente , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Background: Nonspecific low back pain is a common symptom, which may be related to physical and emotional factors, which affects 80% of individuals at some point in their lives, with several erroneous beliefs about the condition being disseminated by the population. Therefore, it is an important issue for public health and State spending, as there are excessive expenses with treatments, in addition to the situation being closely related to disability and absence from work.Objective: To investigate the effects of an online educational intervention focused on mistaken beliefs compared to general education on clinical outcomes of people with low back pain, such as pain and disability.Methods: At least fifty-three adult participants from the general population who have nonspecific low back pain will be analyzed. Sociodemographic data, clinical aspects will be collected and the following scales will be applied: Numerical Pain Scale, Back Beliefs Questionnaire and Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire. Then, two types of educational interventions will be carried out: one focused on incorrect beliefs about the symptom and the other, focused on general education. The effects of the intervention will be analyzed considering the outcome related to knowledge of low back pain, through fixed linear models adjusting for the baseline assessment of the outcome. The time versus group interaction coefficients will be used to estimate the effect of the action.