Publications
APS Bulletin • Volume 17, Number 1, 2007
Special Interest Groups
David Williams, PhD, Department Editor
Media Targets Psych Research on Chronic Low Back Pain
Robert P. Yezierski, PhD, Debra B. Gordon, MS RN FAAN
 Benson M. Hoffman, PhD |
Can psychological treatments reduce chronic low back pain (CLBP)?
It’s a provocative question for those who suffer from persistent back pain—and lately a hot topic that’s cropping up in the national press, including www.WebMD.com, U.S. News & World Report, The New York Times, The Washington Post, MSNBC, and NBC-TV. News outlets are referencing a paper, “Meta-Analysis of Psychological Interventions for Chronic Low Back Pain,” featured in the January 2007 Health Psychology of the American Psychological Association. Combining the results of previous clinical trials, the authors found that psychological treatments reduce chronic low back pain. They actually reduce the pain and functional limitations (disability) and improve quality of life.
APS Bulletin recently talked with lead author Benson M. Hoffman, PhD, to inquire about the media coverage.
Psychosocial Research SIG cochairs Michael Geisser, PhD, and Raymond Tait, PhD, say your research is drawing a lot of media attention. Why all the interest?
Right now, there are millions of Americans suffering from CLBP. The people in our analyses suffered from CLBP for an average of nearly 7 years. Traditional approaches, such as long-term use of opioid pain medication or surgery, are expensive, carry medical risks, and are sometimes unsuccessful. The results of our study offer hope for an effective, inexpensive, and safe alternative.
Are you surprised by the attention?
At first I was surprised simply because we typically work in relative obscurity. However, given the extent of the problem and the exciting nature of our results, the “buzz” makes sense. Robert Kerns, PhD, senior scientist on our team, has considerable experience and expertise in chronic pain research. Through his guidance, I’d like to think that our team was able to focus our analyses on the variables most important to both clinicians and patients, resulting in a useful product.
Do you plan to further study the effects of psychological interventions for CLBP?
Actually, my focus has shifted to patients undergoing solid organ transplantation. At this time I personally have no plans to study the effects of psychosocial interventions on CLBP. However, when designing psychosocial interventions or evaluating the impact of our interventions on health-related quality of life, pain always plays an important role.
Any upcoming trends in psychosocial research?
Two trends in particular excite me. First, researchers like Kerns and Frank Keefe, PhD, are pushing the envelope by exploring the efficacy of psychological interventions for cancer pain and neuropathic pains resulting from multiple sclerosis. And so far, researchers are optimistic.
Second, researchers are examining how psychological interventions can be tailored to meet the needs of the individual. For example, many people with chronic pain resist referrals to mental health professionals. They believe that by referring them to a mental health professional we are telling them that their pain is “all in their heads.” Kerns is exploring the impact of interventions that specifically target and promote patient readiness to participate in psychological interventions for chronic pain, and the effect of tailoring the content of the psychological interventions to the interests of individual patients.
Benson M. Hoffman, PhD, is clinical associate and SMILE Study coordinator, department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC. Other authors of “Meta-Analysis of Psychological Interventions for Chronic Low Back Pain” are David K. Chatkoff, PhD, department of behavior sciences, University of Michigan at Dearborn; Robert D. Kerns, PhD, professor, department of psychiatry, neurology, and psychology, Yale University, and psychology service, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System; and Rebecca K. Papas, PhD, department of epidemiology and public health, Yale University School of Medicine.
Direct comments and suggestions for SIG articles to David Williams at daveawms@umich.edu.