Central Sensitization in Patients Seeking Outpatient Physical Therapy Services

Central Sensitization in Patients Seeking Outpatient Physical Therapy Services

This is an observational study to examine presence of CS in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), chronic LBP (CLBP), and chronic neck pain (CNP) seeking outpatient physical therapy (PT) services. The study will also examine if outcomes differ between patients with CS and patients without CS symptoms with standard PT interventions.

Central Sensitization (CS), defined as augmented pain processing, is common in subgroup of nearly all chronic pain conditions, including fibromyalgia, CLBP, OA, and chronic tension headache. However, current studies of CS are primarily limited to research settings, lacking the knowledge about prevalence of CS and rehabilitation outcomes in usual clinical care.

Practicing clinicians do not routinely assess for CS symptoms. Without proper screening for CS, and lack of knowledge of varying levels of nervous system involvement contributing to pain, clinicians are unable to fully identify the depth of the mechanisms and therefore unable to fully determine the best treatment strategies. This observational study addresses this gap in knowledge by screening patients for CS symptoms.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of knee, neck, or back pain
• Chronic pain as defined pain > 3 months
• Able to read and understand English

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnancy
• Pain less than 3 months