BELOW (training development study)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Behaviour change to rEduce LOW back pain: a training development study (BELOW)
IRAS ID
339101
Contact name
Stephen Preece
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Salford
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 28 days
Research summary
The current NHS treatment for people with low back pain (LBP) who are at high risk of long-term problematic symptoms involves a combination of physical exercises and psychological methods. However, the effectiveness of this combined approach is not very strong, partly because many patients prefer physical treatments and are hesitant to engage with the psychological aspects. Additionally, some musculoskeletal physiotherapists believe that current combined treatments lack sufficient "hands-on" guidance.
To address these issues, we have developed a new physiotherapy treatment for LBP called Cognitive Muscular Therapy (CMT). CMT integrates psychological techniques for pain management with training to improve postural control. Unlike traditional strength training, CMT focuses on improving postural control by reducing overactivity of the abdominal and low back muscles, using "hands-on" guidance during treatment. Small sensors are used to visualize muscle activity to facilitate this relearning process. In a small pilot study, 15 people with long-lasting back pain received 7 sessions of CMT and on average, their pain decreased by 77%.
This project, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) aims to understand if CMT can be developed to form part of the NHS treatment for LBP. The first part of the project involves developing and testing a training programme for physiotherapists. We will recruit 4 physiotherapists who will complete online and face to face training. They will then deliver 7 sessions of CMT to 2 participants with LBP. All participants will be interviewed to understand their experiences of delivering/receiving CMT. This feedback will be used to develop the training course for physiotherapists. This course will be used to train physiotherapists as part of a future feasibility study. This future feasibility study will evaluate the practicality and acceptability of implementing CMT within the NHS context.
REC name
Wales REC 6
REC reference
24/WA/0115
Date of REC Opinion
26 Apr 2024
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion