| 1. |
- Bergbom, Sofia, 1982-, et al.
(författare)
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Relationship Among Pain Catastrophizing, Depressed Mood, and Outcomes Across Physical Therapy Treatments
- 2011
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Ingår i: Physical Therapy. - : Oxford University Press. - 0031-9023 .- 1538-6724. ; 91:5, s. 754-764
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Pain catastrophizing and emotional distress can act as prognosticfactors for pain and disability. Research on how these variables interact withinindividuals and over time is in an early stage. Understanding various patterns ofprognostic factors and how these factors change during treatment is important fordeveloping treatments targeting important factors.Objective: The primary aim of this study was to investigate relationships betweenpain catastrophizing and depressed mood in people seeking primary care for mus-culoskeletal pain. An additional aim was to relate these patterns of prognostic factorsto outcomes during a 6-month period.Design: The design was prospective; data were obtained at baseline and atfollow-up.Methods: Forty-two physical therapists taking part in an educational programrecruited, from their clinical practices in primary care, consecutive patients whowere currently experiencing a pain problem. Patients received various physicaltherapy interventions between baseline and follow-up.Results: On the basis of patterns of scoring for pain catastrophizing and depressedmood, 4 subgroups of participants were found. Belonging to a subgroup withelevated levels of either pain catastrophizing or depressed mood at baseline wasrelated to the absence of improvement and elevated levels of disability after physicaltherapy interventions. Furthermore, elevated levels of both variables were related tothe highest levels of disability.Limitations: The analyses relied on self-report. Neither treatment content norpain-related fear was measured. The sample was a mixture of participants reportingacute pain and subacute pain.Conclusions: The results stress the importance of assessing and targeting prog-nostic factors. Moreover, the results suggest the need to tailor treatments to matchpatterns of prognostic factors and the need to target depressed mood and paincatastrophizing in physical therapy interventions.
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| 2. |
- Boersma, Katja, 1973-, et al.
(författare)
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Lowering fear-avoidance and enhancing function through exposure in vivo : a multiple baseline study across six patients with back pain
- 2004
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Ingår i: Pain. - : Elsevier. - 0304-3959 .- 1872-6623. ; 108:1-2, s. 8-16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study investigated the effects of an exposure in vivo treatment for chronic pain patients with high levels of fear and avoidance. The fear-avoidance model offers an enticing explanation of why some back pain patients develop persistent disability, stressing the role of catastrophic interpretations; largely fueled by beliefs and expectations that activity will cause injury and will worsen the pain problem. Recently, an exposure in vivo treatment was developed that aims to enhance function by directly addressing these fears and expectations. The purpose of this study was to describe the short-term, consequent effect of an exposure in vivo treatment. The study employed a multiple baseline design with six patients who were selected based on their high levels of fear and avoidance. The results demonstrated clear decreases in rated fear and avoidance beliefs while function increased substantially. These improvements were observed even though rated pain intensity actually decreased somewhat. Thus, the results replicate and extend the findings of previous studies to a new setting, with other therapists and a new research design. These results, together with the initial studies, provide a basis for pursuing and further developing the exposure technique and to test it in group designs with larger samples.
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| 3. |
- Linton, Steven J., et al.
(författare)
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A randomized controlled trial of exposure in vivo for patients with spinal pain reporting fear of work-related activities
- 2008
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Ingår i: European Journal of Pain. - : Elsevier. - 1090-3801 .- 1532-2149. ; 12:6, s. 722-730
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Pain-related fear is related to disability in persistent pain conditions. Exposure treatment has been reported to be of great benefit in replicated single case experiments.AIM: To evaluate the effects of exposure in vivo on fear and function in patients with persistent pain and work disability.METHOD: We recruited 46 patients suffering from long-term back pain and reduced function, who also were deemed fearful according to standardized measures. Participants were randomized into either an exposure plus usual treatment or waiting list control plus usual treatment group. After the waiting period the control group crossed over and received the exposure treatment.RESULTS: Between group comparisons showed a significantly better result for the exposure group on function, but not for fear or pain and effect sizes were modest (function=.6; fear=.4; pain=.1). When the control group crossed over to treatment significant treatment effects were noted for fear and function. For all patients treated, the pre to post-treatment effect sizes were large (function=.7; fear=1.1; pain=.9). There were 12 dropouts (8 in exposure and 4 in the control) during the first treatment phase and an additional 4 when the control group crossed over to exposure.CONCLUSIONS: Compared to a group receiving usual treatment and waiting for exposure, the exposure in vivo group demonstrated a significantly larger improvement on function. Overall exposure had moderate effects on function, fear and pain intensity. We conclude that exposure may be important in treatment, but is not recommended as a "stand alone" adjunct to usual treatment.
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| 4. |
- Overmeer, Thomas, 1960-, et al.
(författare)
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Do evidence-based guidelines have an impact in primary care? : A cross-sectional study of Swedish physicians and physiotherapists
- 2005
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Ingår i: Spine. - : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. - 0362-2436 .- 1528-1159. ; 30:1, s. 146-151
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Study Design. A cross-sectional study of physicians and physiotherapists in primary care. Objectives. To survey how familiar clinicians were with evidence-based guidelines for back pain and their opinion about their clinical usefulness and to compare self-reported practice behavior with the guidelines. Summary of Background Data. Guidelines, based on empirical evidence, are meant to ensure that patients get the most effective treatment. These evidence-based guidelines should steer clinical praxis, but clinicians may not read, let alone heed, them. Methods. Using a questionnaire, the authors surveyed all physicians and physiotherapists in primary health care in Örebro County, Sweden (N = 235). Results. Forty-two percent of the physicians and 37% of the physiotherapists were unfamiliar with the content of the guidelines, and 40% of the physicians and 25% of the physiotherapists were unfamiliar with the concept of 'red flags.' Less than half of the clinicians, 47%, were familiar both with the content of the guidelines and the concept of red flags. Their opinion about the guidelines showed that 54% of the physicians and 56% of the physiotherapists agreed that the guidelines were useful in clinical praxis. Concerning the self-reported practice behavior, the majority indicated that they followed the key points in the guidelines. Conclusions. A relatively large proportion of clinicians were unfamiliar with the content of evidence-based guidelines and/or with the concept of red flags. The process of implementing research into clinical practice is in need of an overhaul, and the impact of guidelines on clinical practice may be questioned.
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| 5. |
- Overmeer, Thomas, et al.
(författare)
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Do physical therapists change their beliefs, attitudes,knowledge, skills and behaviour after a biopsychosocially orientated university course?
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Evaluation In Clinical Practice. - Oxford : Blackwell. - 1356-1294 .- 1365-2753. ; 15:4, s. 724-732
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim The aim of this study is to examine the effects of an 8-day university-based training course, aimed at identifying and addressing psychosocial prognostic factors during physiotherapy treatment, in shifting therapists towards a more biopsychosocial orientation as measured by changes in beliefs/attitudes, knowledge, skills and behaviour.MethodWe combined a randomized controlled trail with a pre-post design. Forty-two physiotherapists applied for a university-accredited training course designed to enhance knowledge and management of psychosocial factors in their practice with patients suffering from musculoskeletal pain. The course participants were randomized either to receiving the course or to a waiting list for training. Attitudes and beliefs towards, and knowledge of psychosocial factors, patient vignettes and a video of an imaginary patient were tested before and after training. The patients of the course participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire with background questions at treatment start. The patients also received a questionnaire about the physical therapists' behaviour and patient satisfaction 6 weeks after treatment start.ResultsThe results show that physical therapists' attitudes and believes became more biopsychosocially and less biomedically orientated, they were less convinced that pain justifies disability and limitation of activities, and their knowledge and skills on psychosocial risk factors increased after a university-accredited training course. Yet despite these changes their patients perceived their practice behaviour before and after the course as similar and were equally satisfied with their treatment and treatment result.ConclusionA course, which enhanced biopsychosocial attitudes and beliefs, as well as increased such knowledge and skills did not change the way patients perceived their physical therapists. A future question is whether it improves patient outcome.
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| 6. |
- Overmeer, Thomas, 1960-, et al.
(författare)
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Do physical therapists recognise established risk factors? : Swedish physical therapists' evaluation in comparison to guidelines
- 2004
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Ingår i: Physiotherapy. - Amsterdam : Elsevier. - 0031-9406 .- 1873-1465. ; 90:1, s. 35-41
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and purpose The Swedish Council on Technology Assessment in Health Care has widely distributed the most recent Swedish evidence-based review on neck and back pain. In this review psychosocial factors were acknowledged as important risk factors for developing chronic pain. We surveyed physical therapists’ evaluation of risk factors for the development of chronic pain. The results were compared to the review of the Swedish Council on Technology Assessment in Health Care.Methods A postal questionnaire was sent to all 117 physical therapists working in primary care in Örebro County, Sweden.Results The survey was responded to by 102 physical therapists (87%). Over 50% of them indicated as important more than twice as many risk factors than are supported by the evidence-based review.More than 50% of the physical therapists pointed out all eight evidence-based factors described in the evidence-based review but they also indicated a median of 10 additional factors with little or no support in the literature. More than 80% of the physical therapists responded according to the recommendations of the evidence-based review concerning sick leave and instructions to patients regarding activities and pain relief. Forty-four physical therapists (43%) indicated that they could predict which patients would develop chronic pain in the future.Conclusions Physical therapists represented by this sample were well aware of the importance of psychosocial risk factors, but because of the large number of additional factors indicated it seems physical therapists lack specificity about which factors are important.
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| 7. |
- Overmeer, Thomas, 1960-, et al.
(författare)
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Does teaching physical therapists to deliver a biopsychosocial treatment program result in better patient outcomes? : A randomized controlled trial
- 2011
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Ingår i: Physical Therapy. - : Oxford University Press. - 0031-9023 .- 1538-6724. ; 91:5, s. 804-819
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Psychosocial risk factors are important in the development of chronic pain but treatment providers often lack knowledge and skills to assess and address these risk factors.Objectives: We examined the effects of a course on psychosocial factors for physical therapists on patient outcome in terms of pain and disability. Design: A randomised controlled trail.Participants: Forty-two primary care physical therapists attended an eight-day university course over eight weeks aimed at identifying and addressing psychosocial risk factors.Methods: They were randomised to either the course or a waiting list. The physical therapists collected consecutive acute and sub-acute patients with musculoskeletal pain both before and after the course.Results: There were no significant differences in outcome for pain or disability for allpatients of physical therapists who had participated in the course or for risk patients with higher levels of catastrophizing or depression compared to patients of physical therapists who had not participated in the course. Outcome for low risk patients on pain and disability and for high risk patients on pain was not dependent on if their physical therapists changed their attitudes and beliefs during the course. Yet, outcome on disability for high risk patients may have been influenced if their physical therapists change their attitudes and beliefs.Limitations: no measure of actual practice behaviour.Conclusions: An eight-day university course for physiotherapists did not improve outcome for the group of patients as a whole or patients at risk of developing long term disability. Yet, risk patients with higher levels of catastrophizing or depression may have had a greater improvement in disability if their physical therapist changed attitudes and beliefs during the course.
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| 8. |
- Overmeer, Thomas, 1960-
(författare)
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Implementing psychosocial factors in physical therapy treatment for patients with musculoskeletal pain in primary care
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This dissertation focuses on 2 parts: 1) Whether evidence-based guidelines are recognized and integrated into clinical practice in primary care and 2) Whether a university course aimed at teaching physical therapists to identify and address evidence-based psychosocial factors in primary care might change practice behaviour and patient outcome. To this end practising clinicians were surveyed and a course for physical therapists was developed.Concerning the first part, we showed that a relatively large proportion of clinicians in primary care were unfamiliar with the content of evidence-based guidelines and/or with the concept of “Red flags”. Yet, concerning the self-reported practice behaviour, the majority indicated they followed the key points in the guidelines. To enhance the impact of guidelines, interventions or tactics for teaching and implementing guidelines should include interactive education,discussion, feedback, and reminders which in research have shown to enhance knowledge,skills and change behaviour. Furthermore, the clinical applicability of the guidelines needs to be further developed. We could also show that psychosocial factors were integrated up to a certain point and that physical therapists in primary care were well aware of the importance of psychosocial risk factors, but it seemed physical therapists lack specificity about which factors are important. Physical therapists may have heard about risk factors but probably did not have a clear model or structure about how these factors work.Concerning the second part, the results showed that we, by means of a university course, managed to change attitudes and beliefs, increase knowledge, skills and competencies towards a more biopsychosocial standpoint. But despite these changes, the results did not show a behavioural change on behalf of the physical therapists or a better outcome for patients at risk of longterm pain and disability. Several possible explanations for this are discussed. First, the content of the course should be changed so it focuses more on behavioural change on behalf of the physical therapists. This would facilitate implementation of new behaviour in clinical practice and increase the likelihood that the new behaviour is maintained and thereby the possibility of improved patient outcome. Second, treating patients at risk for long-term pain and disability may also be too difficult for a single physical therapist in a clinical setting. This would imply large changes in the way patients are directed through the health care system compared to now. The main tasks of the physical therapists in primary care would then be to select patients at risk for long-term pain and disability. They would then treat the patients not at risk and refer the patients at risk for long-term pain and disability to more suitable treatment, for example CBT treatment delivered by a psychologist or multimodal treatment delivered by a team of experts.Since risk patients experience most suffering and are the most costly for the health care system, it is important they get the appropriate treatment at the earliest possible opportunity.In summary, this dissertation shows that integrating psychosocial factors in physical therapy is not an easy task.
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| 9. |
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