The Effect of Therapeutic Neuroscience Education on Chronic Low Back Pain

Physiotherapy Combined With Therapeutic Neuroscience Education Versus Physiotherapy Alone for Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Ongoing fear and catastrophization in people with chronic low back pain (CLBP) causes increased pain, disability and kinesiophobia, and decreased endurance of trunk muscles. Nowadays, recurrent low back pain complaints are increasing day by day. Besides the use of electrophysical agents and exercise in the treatment of chronic low back pain, education methods used to reduce the negative effects of psychosocial factors are important for healing.

Although there were studies about the combination of Therapeutic Neuroscience Education (TNE) with exercise in CLBP, there are no studies that combine electrophysical agents, exercise and TNE methods in the literature. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate whether TNE combined with physiotherapy consisting of electrophysical modalities and home program exercise is superior to only physiotherapy in patients with CLBP.

Inclusion Criteria:

The inclusion criteria were:

• aged between 18-60 years
• to have CLBP ˃ 3 months duration
• to have independent walking ability
• to be literate in Turkish.

Exclusion Criteria:

• to have vertebral compression fractures
• to have transitional vertebrae
• to have an underlying tumoral, rheumatologic or inflammatory disease
• to have trauma, surgical history
• to be pregnant or less than six months postpartum period