Objective

Evaluation, at one year, of a short duration multidisciplinary educational program for the chronic, short-term low-back pain.

Material/patients and methods

During the year 2012, 107 patients with chronic low-back pains were included into a therapeutic educational program. This program consisted in explaining exercises to relieve back pain, in giving information about the mechanisms implied in the low-back pain and in inciting the practice of a regular physical activity. One year later, 69 patients answered to a questionnaire (that represents 65% of the concerned patients), giving rise to the analysis of 66 questionnaires, 2 being incomplete and one not filled.

Results

The patients’ average age is 44 years. The sex ratio men/women is 41/25. Concerning the subjective effects, 85% of the patients say to have acquired through this program the feeling “to live better” with the back pain. Seventy-one percent of the patients think to have obtained an improvement of their pain among which 36% of them of more than 50%. There is a very significant improvement ( P 0.001) of the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale. The improvement concerning the FABQ “physical activity” is significant ( P < 0.05) contrary to the FABQ “professional activity”. The Hospital and Anxiety Depression scale improves in a significant way ( P < 0.05).

Discussion – conclusion

The evaluation of this type of program would deserve a more thorough study but this work seems to reveal an efficiency in the fields of the functional and cognitive abilities with modification of the fears and the faiths. From the point of view of the pain, the analysis highlights a subjective improvement of the patients.