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CompletedNCT03863808Updated Mar 17, 2023

Effect of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Chronic Low Back Pain With Sensitization

An interventional study of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Strengthening exercises in Chronic Low Back Pain and Central Sensitisation, sponsored by Marwa Elsayed. Completed at 1 site in Egypt. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 50 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-03-17.

Sponsored by Marwa Elsayed · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 10 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Nov 2017, registered Sep 2018).
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
30
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 50 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

PURPOSE:

The main objectives of the study are:

  1. To find the efficacy of using cognitive behavioural therapy on chronic low back pain with central sensitization.
  2. To assist in planning an ideal physical therapy rehabilitation program for these patients.

BACKGROUND:

Recent research has shown that CLBP is a multifactorial disorder comprising psychosocial factors like pain catastrophization, fear avoidance and central sensitization. Central sensitization has been defined as "An amplification of neural signaling within the central nervous system that elicits pain hypersensitivity", and "increased responsiveness of nociceptive neurons in the central nervous system to their normal or subthreshold afferent input".

Maladaptive behavior, false beliefs and misinformation regarding the cause of the pain are all contributing factors to the chronicity of LBP.

Central sensitization has been attributed to cortical reorganization and amplification of the somatosensory representation of the back causing increased pain and further contributing to the maladaptive behavior and beliefs.

Cognitive behavioral treatment has been an important intervention for psychological disorders for decades and recently has gained a lot of interest as an intervention for chronic pain in general and CLBP in specific.

HYPOTHESES:

It will be hypothesized that: Cognitive behavioural therapy will have a significant effect on centrally sensitized pain intensity and disability.

RESEARCH QUESTION:" Does cognitive behavioral therapy have a significant effect on chronic low back pain with central sensitization"

02

Conditions studied

  • Chronic Low Back Pain
  • Central Sensitisation

Keywords

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
  • Flexion Relaxation Phenomenon
  • Electromyography
  • Biofeedback
  • Functional Training
03

In context

Back Pain

2,373 studies on the registry are indexed under Back Pain; 284 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 30 is below the median of 60 across 1,941 interventional studies indexed under Back Pain.

Browse Back Pain studies →

Lead sponsor

This is the only study on the registry with Marwa Elsayed as lead sponsor.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 50 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  1. Age between 18- 50.
  2. Patient must have experienced low back pain for at least 3 months.
  3. Patient must have a score above or equal 40 in the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) (Neblett R. C., 2013) (Neblett R, 2015) (Neblett H. M., 2016) (R. De Pauw, 2015) (Mayer TG N. R., 2012) .
  4. Patient must have a score of 3 and above on the Numerical Pain Rating Scale.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients were excluded if they had taken pain medications on the day of the assessment.
  • Patient who had serious spinal pathologies, such as fractures, tumors or inflammatory diseases, such as ankylosing spondylitis, narrowing of spinal canal and other conditions or severe cardiorespiratory diseases.
  • Uncontrolled mental health condition that prevents successful compliance.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Participant)
Enrollment
30 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

    Following assessment a one on one session will be given comprising education cognitively targeting false ideas and beliefs on the nature of pain, differentiating nociception due to a painful stimulus and the transition of such a stimulus to a centrally sensitized experience due to misinformation, maladaptive behaviour and fear avoidance. Upon completion of the session assessment using the NPQ will be done to assess the understanding of the patient and further address any shortcomings in future exercise sessions. Another SEMG recording of the Flexion Relaxation phenomenon will be upon completion of the educational session and a SEMG biofeedback session will begin to help the patient regain their sense of control over their body and function. After the SEMG biofeedback session a graded exposure exercise program of strengthening and functional training starting from the least feared movements to the most over 10 sessions over 5 weeks.

    Behavioral: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

  • Active comparator
    Strengthening and Core Stability

    Following assessment 12 sessions over 6 weeks will start, focusing on strengthening exercises of the transversus abdominis and lumbar multifidus muscles (Angela Searle, 2015). Exercises will be graduated according to the patient pain tolerance.

    Other: Strengthening exercises

Interventions

  • BehavioralCognitive Behavioural Therapy

    Following assessment a one on one session will be given comprising education cognitively targeting false ideas and beliefs on the nature of pain, differentiating nociception due to a painful stimulus and the transition of such a stimulus to a centrally sensitized experience due to misinformation, maladaptive behaviour and fear avoidance. Upon completion of the session assessment using the NPQ will be done to assess the understanding of the patient and further address any shortcomings in future exercise sessions. Another SEMG recording of the Flexion Relaxation phenomenon will be upon completion of the educational session and a SEMG biofeedback session will begin to help the patient regain their sense of control over their body and function. After the SEMG biofeedback session a graded exposure exercise program of strengthening and functional training starting from the least feared movements to the most over 10 sessions over 5 weeks.

    Also known as: SEMG Biofeedback

  • OtherStrengthening exercises

    Strengthening exercises in a gradual manner to the Multifidus and Transversus Abdominis muscles.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. The Oswestry disability index

    The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) is one of the most commonly used outcome measures for individuals with low back pain (LBP) (Fairbank JC, 2000) .The ODI shows good construct validity; internal consistency is rated as acceptable; test-retest reliability and responsiveness have been shown to be high; and burden of administration is low. The ODI is a self-administered questionnaire that requires 5 minutes to complete and 1 minute to score.

    Time frame: Upto 24 weeks of treatment

Secondary outcomes

  1. The fear avoidance beliefs questionnaire

    FABQ was developed by Waddell to investigate fear-avoidance beliefs among LBP patients in the clinical setting. This survey can help predict those that have a high pain avoidance behavior. The FABQ consists of 2 subscales, which are reflected in the division of the outcome form into 2 separate sections. The first subscale (items 1-5) is the Physical Activity subscale (FABQPA), and the second subscale (items 6-16) is the Work subscale (FABQW). Scoring the Physical Activity subscale (FABQPA) Sum items 2, 3, 4, and 5 (the score circled by the patient for these items). Scoring the Work subscale (FABQW) Sum items 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 15.

    Time frame: Upto 24 weeks of treatment

Other outcomes

  1. The numerical rating scale (NRS)

    The NRS evaluates levels of pain intensity using an 11-point scale (range 0-10), with 0 being classified as "no pain" and 10 "pain as bad as could be." Pain evaluation was assessed verbally by having people report pain intensity for the last 7 days as a criterion for inclusion in the study.

    Time frame: Upto 24 weeks of treatment

07

Study locations

1 site
  • MTI University
    Cairo, Mokattam 11585, Egypt
08

References and documents

Publications

  • . Airaksinen O, B. J.-M. (2006). European guidlines for the management of chronic nonspecific low back pain. Eur spine, 192-300. .: The effect of neuroscience education on pain, disability, anxiety, and stress in chronic musculoskeletal pain. . (2011). Arch Phys Med Rehabil, 2041-56. Ahern DK, F. M. (1988). Comparison of lumbar paravertebral EMG patterns in chronic low back pain patients and non-patient controls. Pain, 153-160. Airaksinen O, B. J.-M. (2006). European guidlines for the management of chronic nonspecific low back pain. Eur spine, 192-300. Angela Searle, M. S. (2015). Exercise interventions for the treatment of chronic low back pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Clinical Rehabilitation, 1-13. Balagué F, M. A. (2012). Non specific low back pain. lance, 482-491. Clarke CL, R. C. (2011). Pain neurophysiology education for the management of individuals with chronic low back pain: systematic review and meta-analysis. Manual Therapy, 544-549. Cohen JE, G. V. (1994). Group education interventions for people with low back pain. An overview of the literature. Spine , 1214-22. Dagenais S, C. J. (2008). A systematic review of low back pain cost of illness studies in the United States and internationally. Spine, 8-20. DC, M. V. (2008). Psychometric properties and clinical usefulness of the Oswestry Disability Index. Journal of Chiropractice medicine, 161-163. Delitto. (2005). Research in low back pain: Time to stop seeking the elusive

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided — Only consented information will be shared.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Mar 17, 2023, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03863808
Lead sponsor
Marwa Elsayed
Collaborators
MTI University
Responsible party
Marwa Elsayed (Effect of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Chronic Low Back Pain with sensitization., MTI University) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Mar 5, 2019
Start date
Nov 2, 2017
Primary completion
Aug 15, 2019
Completion
Oct 18, 2019
Last update
Mar 17, 2023

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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