Use of a self management tool in patients with back pain
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A comparison of two different self-management programmes for patients with back pain: A double-blind randomised controlled trial.
IRAS ID
221938
Contact name
Denis Martin
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Teesside University
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 27 days
Research summary
Ten million people in the UK are affected every day by persistent pain. In the North East of England there is a regional clinical pathway used for the management of back pain-The North of England Regional Back Pain Pathway. Patients are referred by their GP for a programme of treatment that ranges from self-management to a residential interventional approach. When patients are discharged from the pathway they are discharged to self-management. Currently this self-management consists of unstructured advice. It may be that outcomes would be enhanced if more structured self-management advice was provided. Currently no studies have investigated this question. In this study patients with back pain who are discharged to self-management as part of their routine clinical pathway will be randomised to receive either a structured self-management programne (the Pain Toolkit) or unstructured self-management (information/advice). This will be supplemented by a qualitative evaluation of the patient's experience of using the Pain Toolkit. The Pain Toolkit was developed by a member of the public and offers a range of 12 self-help options such as keeping a diary, gentle exercise or relaxation. Patients using the Pain Toolkit choose which of the interventions they wish to use. The Pain Toolkit encourages acceptance and managing expectations rather than a curative approach. Participants will be asked to complete a range of outcomes at baseline, and then at 6 and 12 months after receiving the self-management material. The primary outcome measure for the study will be the Oswestry Disability Index, which is a validated and reliable measure of physical function. A range of other clinical outcomes will be collected including pain, quality of life, healthcare utilisation and patient satisfaction.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/NE/0144
Date of REC Opinion
14 Sep 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion