A Pilot Randomized Trial of Pain Neuroscience Education in the Rehabilitation After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair

A Pilot Randomized, Controlled Trial of the Effectiveness of Pain Neuroscience Education on Pain Intensity, Patients' Attitudes and Beliefs About Pain, Disability and Quality of Life After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 8-week pain neuroscience education programme compared to a biomedical education programme on the rehabilitation of patients who undergo arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Outcome measures included pain intensity, patients' attitudes and beliefs about pain, disability and quality of life.

This was a single-blinded, randomized parallel study. Twenty- nine patients who undergo arthroscopic rotator cuff repair took part in a multimodal physiotherapy programme and were allocated to two groups. Patients in the experimental group - PNE (n= 16) received multimodal physiotherapy along with pain neuroscience education, and the control group- PME (n=13) received multimodal physiotherapy along with biomedical education. The multimodal treatment included 1-hour sessions 3 times per week for 8 weeks (24 sessions). In addition, the education component (PNE, PME) consisted of 4 education sessions of 30 minutes duration, on a one-to-one basis, once per week at the start of the programme.

Physiotherapists involved in the delivery of the interventions were previously trained on both, the theoretical and practical aspects related to the protocols of multimodal physiotherapy and specially on the education component.

Outcome measures included pain intensity (pain intensity numerical rating score), catastrophizing, kinesiophobia, disability and quality of life.

Inclusion Criteria:

• People aged 30 to 59 years with shoulder pain for more than three months, with torn rotator cuff repaired by arthroscopy.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subjects unable to understand, read or speak Spanish, or participated in a programme for psychological management of chronic pain, or presented with generalised pain.