Low-back pain is a major health and economical problem that affects populations around the world. Chronic low-back pain, in particular, is a major cause of medical expenses, work absenteeism, and disability. Current management of chronic low-back pain includes a range of different treatments such as medication, exercise, and behavioral therapy. Research has shown that social roles and psychological factors have a role in the course of chronic low-back pain. This review of 30 studies (3,438 participants) evaluated 3 behavioral therapies for chronic low-back pain: (1) operant (acknowledging that external factors associated with pain can reinforce it), (2) cognitive (dealing with thoughts, feelings, beliefs, or a combination thereof that trigger the pain), and (3) respondent (interrupting muscle tension with progressive relaxation techniques or biofeedback of muscle activity).
Henschke N, Ostelo RWJG, van Tulder MW, Vlaeyen JWS, Morley S, Assendelft WJJ, Main CJ. Behavioural treatment for chronic low-back pain. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews [Internet]. 2011 Feb 16 [cited 2013 Feb 28]. Available from: http://summaries.cochrane.org/CD002014/behavioural-treatment-for-chronic-low-back-pain