Effects of Pain Neuroscience Education and Virtual Reality in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain

Effects of Pain Neuroscience Education and Virtual Reality in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain

The objective of our study is to evaluate the effects of a therapeutic intervention including

1-hour of pain neuroscience education session, 30-minutes of exposure to exercise with virtual realit and therapeutic exercise in patients with chronic low back pain.

Chronic low back pain is the world's leading cause of years of life lived with disability. Negative thoughts and beliefs about pain experienced can lead to pain avoidance behaviours. Fear of movement is a common behaviour in this type of patients and is associated with avoidance of exercise. Virtual reality is a powerful distraction technique as it directs the patient's attention to an external stimulus rather than pain or body movement. Therefore, it can be beneficial to avoid some pain-related problems, such as kinesiophobia and inactivity. Moreover, pain neuroscience education aim to reconceptualise pain perceptions, beliefs, and avoidance behaviours. Then, the use of these interventions may be beneficial in the treatment of patients with chronic low back pain.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of a therapeutic intervention using pain neuroscience education and virtual reality in patients with chronic low back pain.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Chronic musculoskeletal pain (≥ 3 months)
• Adults (≥ 18 years and less than 65 years)
• Score ≤18 points in Pain Detect Scale
• Wish to participate in the study and sign the informed consent
• Speaking Spanish

Exclusion Criteria:

• Neuropathic pain (score >18 in Pain Detect Scale)
• Physical or psychological pathology of any kind that imply an inability to understand the necessary instructions to carry out the study will be excluded.