Norwegian Psychomotor Physiotherapy in Patients With Long-lasting Musculoskeletal Pain.

Norwegian Psychomotor Physiotherapy Versus Cognitive Patient Education and Active Physiotherapy

The aim is to examine the effect of Norwegian Psychomotor Physiotherapy (NPMP) in employees with long-lasting musculoskeletal pain compared to employees receiving Cognitive Patient Education in combination with active individual physiotherapy (COPE-PT) on pain, function, quality of life and sick-leave

The NPMP is based on the assumption that patients with long-lasting problems, physical and/or psychological, may react with general aberrations related to posture, respiration, and movements, as well as with muscular tension and skin changes.

Employees With Long lasting musculoskeletal pain problems, working in the Municipality of Bergen, will be invited to participate in an Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT), and randomized to either receive Norwegian Psychomotor Physiotherapy (NPMP) or a series of Cognitive Patient Education in combination with active individual physiotherapy (COPE-PT). The aim is to examine the effect of NPMP compared to those receiving COPE-PT on pain, function, quality of life and sick-leave.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients With neck,shoulder and/or widespread pain
• Pain (≥ 3 Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS)
• Functional problems measured with Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire (OMPSQ), Neck Disability Index (NDI) and/or Shoulder Pain and Disability Inventory (SPADI)-been sick-listed for 4-8 weeks, or on the brink of becoming sick-listed, or having had residual neck- and shoulder complaints problems during the last two years with several short-term sick-leaves.
• =/6 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) tender points,
• Reduced Relaxation and Flexibility from the Global Physiotherapy Examination (GPE)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Sick-listed > 6 months