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De-educate to re-educate: aging and low back pain

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Abstract

Background

Patients’ beliefs about their condition have been shown to play a significant role in their pain experience and response to treatment, especially when a patient sees their tissue health as vulnerable or aged. Educational can alter these beliefs. Prior to new information, patients often have to be de-educated regarding common misbeliefs to undergo re-education.

Aims

To determine if a brief de-education session regarding aging and low back pain (LBP) can shift pain ratings, fear-avoidance beliefs, beliefs regarding aging and LBP, and limited active trunk flexion.

Methods

Fifty adults ranging from 50 to 93 years of age (SD = 10.73) with a 15.1 years of LBP were education on the poor correlation between aging and LBP. Prior to and immediately after the education pain ratings for LBP and leg pain (numeric pain rating scale—NPRS), fear-avoidance (fear avoidance beliefs questionnaire—FABQ), beliefs regarding aging and LBP (Likert scale) and active trunk flexion were measured.

Results

Significant changes were found in positive shifts with LBP (p = 0.002), leg pain (p = 0.042), FABQ-physical activity subscale (p = 0.004) and active trunk forward flexion (p < 0.001).

Discussion

The results show that education aimed at altering beliefs regarding LBP and aging result in a positive shift in pain, fear avoidance related to physical activity and active trunk flexion.

Conclusion

Prior to providing patients with new healthcare information, de-educating them regarding poor beliefs may be helpful in shifting them towards new, healthier paradigms associated with their condition.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Spine and Pain Institute, PO Box 232, Story City, IA, 50248, USA

    Adriaan Louw

  2. Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, University of South Dakota, 414 E Clark Street, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA

    Kory Zimney

  3. RehabAuthority, 3170 43rd St S, Suite 101, Fargo, ND, 58104, USA

    Eldon A. Johnson & Chris Kraemer

  4. Advanced PT, 19416 Highridge Way, Trabuco Canyon, CA, 92679, USA

    Justin Fesler

  5. Rehabilitation Director and Clinic Administrator, RehabAuthority Physical Therapy, 1100 19th Avenue, North Suite K, Fargo, ND, 58102, USA

    Tyler Burcham

Authors
  1. Adriaan Louw
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  2. Kory Zimney
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  3. Eldon A. Johnson
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  4. Chris Kraemer
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  5. Justin Fesler
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Correspondence to Adriaan Louw.

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No conflicts to be reported by any authors pertaining to this paper.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Louw, A., Zimney, K., Johnson, E.A. et al. De-educate to re-educate: aging and low back pain. Aging Clin Exp Res 29, 1261–1269 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-017-0731-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-017-0731-x

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