THIEME 496 Narrative Review GLOBAL SPINE JOURNAL Defining the Role of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Treating Chronic Low Back Pain: An Overview David A. Hanscom1 Jens Ivar Brox1 Ray Bunnage1 1 Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, United States Address for correspondence David A. Hanscom, MD, Swedish Neuroscience Institute, Swedish Medical Center, 550 17th Avenue, Seattle, Global Spine J 2015;5:496–504. WA 98122, United States (e-mail: [email protected]). Abstract Study Design Narrative review of the literature. Objectives Determine if the term cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is useful in clinical care and research. What literature supports these variables being relevant to the experience of chronic pain? What effects of CBT in treating these factors have been documented? What methods and platforms are available to administer CBT? Methods Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a complex neurologic disorder with many components. CBT refers to a broad family of therapies that address both maladaptive thoughts and behaviors. There are several ways to deliver it. CLBP was broken into five categories that affect the perception of pain, and the literature was reviewed to see the effects of CBT on these variables. Results The term cognitive behavioral therapy has little use in future research because it covers such a wide range of therapies. CBTshould always be defined by the problem it is Keywords intended to solve. The format and method of delivery should be defined because they ► cognitive behavioral have implications for outcomes. They are readily available even at the primary care level. therapy The effectiveness of CBT is unquestioned regarding its effectiveness in treating each of ► insomnia the variables that affect CLBP. It is unclear why it is not more widely implemented. ► structured care Conclusions CBT represents a family of therapies that are effective for a wide range of ► catastrophizing problems, many of which coexist with and influence CLBP. Each of the variables can be ► chronic pain improved with focused CBT. Early, widespread adoption of CBT in treating and ► expressive writing preventing CLBP is recommended. Future research and clinical care should focus on ► CBT implementation strategies to operationalize these well-documented treatments utilizing a public health ► presurgical screening approach. Introduction psychological interventions on the treatment of CLBP. CBT was noted to be particularly effective.10 Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy The literature contains many studies that compare CBT that has been documented to be effective in treating anxiety, with isolated treatments for CLBP such as physical therapy insomnia, depression, addictions, and other mental disor- and surgery.1,2,11,12 The problem from a research perspective – ders.1 8 It has also been utilized in the treatment of chronic is that cognitive behavioral therapy is a general term that low back pain (CLBP).9 Hoffman et al conducted a detailed encompasses many variations and subentities under an um- meta-analysis demonstrating a strong therapeutic effect of brella term9; in addition, multiple factors affect the received DOI http://dx.doi.org/ © 2015 Georg Thieme Verlag KG August 27, 2015 10.1055/s-0035-1567836. Stuttgart · New York accepted after revision ISSN 2192-5682. October 1, 2015 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Treat Chronic Low Back Pain Hanscom et al. 497 Table 1 Variables influencing the perception of chronic low more focused on the present situation rather than the influ- back pain ence of the past on your current experience. One premise of CBT is that thoughts create a physiologic 38 Sleep response that usually includes adrenaline and cortisol. Stress Thoughts may represent cognitive distortions that have little Anxiety to do with reality. The result may be unpleasant in that it includes a physical sense of alertness and tension to enable a Fear avoidance13,54 “fight or flight” response. CBT aims to create an awareness of 3,5 Catastrophizing these distortions and resultant maladaptive behaviors (i.e., to Anger49 identify automatic negative thoughts). CBT has been reported Injury conviction50 to be effective in treating anxiety and depression as well as other mental health conditions.6,8 CBT is particularly relevant Depression43 to the treatment of chronic pain,9 in that different stressors Medications and states of mind have an adverse effect on the perception of Compliance63 pain and functional outcomes.13 Physical conditioning1,2 Ehde et al summarized the literature regarding the goals of CBT to reduce pain and psychological distress and improve Life outlook physical and role function in the treatment of chronic pain by 27 Forgiveness decreasing maladaptive behaviors, increasing adaptive be- haviors, identifying and correcting maladaptive thoughts and beliefs, and increasing self-efficacy for pain management.9 perception of pain (►Table 1). Therefore, looking at CBT in the treatment of CLBP may provide limited clinically useful Background of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy information. The origins of CBT began with Albert Ellis in the 1950s. He is Indeed an extensive Cochrane review concluded: “There is considered one of the most influential psychologists in history, no need for more general RCTs [randomized controlled trials] publishing over 800 peer-reviewed papers. His term for this reporting group means, rather, different types of studies and treatment approach was rational emotive behavior therapy.He analyses are needed to identify which components of CBT founded the Albert Ellis Institute in 1959, which continues to work for which type of patient on which outcome/s, and to try disseminate these principles.14 Interestingly, he gave credit to to understand why.”7 the Stoics who were influential in Roman times for the The purpose of this article is to delineate the factors that formation of basic cognitive concepts. He particularly recog- have been reported to affect the perception of pain and what nized Epictetus (55 to 135 BC), a Greek philosopher who was role the different types of CBT might have in addressing them. exiled by the Romans, who stressed that human beings cannot The manner and setting in which CBT is delivered will also be control life, only their responses to it.15 considered. Aaron Beck, an internationally renowned psychiatrist who is considered the father of CBT, modified the concepts devel- Methods oped by Albert Ellis and conducted extensive research regard- ing the role of thoughts in creating emotions. His work became This study is a narrative educational review, and we note the influential beginning in the 1960s. The Beck Institute, founded potential for bias or omission of important articles. We sought to in 1994, actively promotes CBT concepts through research, perform a formal systematic literature review at the onset of this clinical care, and training health care professionals.16 project and after a midpoint review decided to base this article David Burns, a Stanford psychiatrist, popularized Beck’s primarily on the conclusions of systematic reviews and meta- work in a best-selling book, Feeling Good, published in 1980.17 analyses instead. Individual studies are presented to illustrate He also is actively engaged in research as well as teaching and promising areas for further research and clinical applications. In training. light of the vast nature of the literature regarding CBT for a multitude of different medical conditions, we decided to reframe Types of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy our project with the intent to clarify the basic CBT concepts that are applicable to CLBP and to suggest a direction for further “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy” studies. Our intent was to educate spine providers about the A more traditional psychological approach to pain is operant options of selectively using elements of CBT for the various conditioning, with which the various forms of CBT are often clinical scenarios that occur in the presence of CLBP. compared. This approach focuses on extinguishing maladap- tive behavior and reinforcing positive reactions to pain. It is Results traditionally based on reward and punishment of behaviors in contrast to addressing the cognitive component of pain.13 Defining Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CBT addresses both the cognitive and behavioral elements CBT describes a category of therapies that address the effect of a given problem. It is important to realize that there is no that thoughts have on behavior, emotions, and symptoms. It is standard CBT protocol, and indeed many different techniques Global Spine Journal Vol. 5 No. 6/2015 498 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Treat Chronic Low Back Pain Hanscom et al. are used to administer it. CBT may be perceived as a specific psychomotor therapy. This group had improved functional treatment paradigm but is really a descriptor for a “family” of disability, self-efficacy, outcomes expectancy, and less fear of treatments. Mansell proposed seven areas of CBT that need to movement/reinjury.22 be clarified to improve the delivery of CBT. The three most important are clarity (shared definitions of CBT and its Modes of Delivery terminology), coherence (shared therapeutic principles and theory), and cohesion (integration of individuals and sub- Individual Therapy groups using CBT).18 CBT is frequently administered in a one-to-one setting, which One problem when evaluating CBT is that the information is ideal if there is a good fit of the patient with the mental learned is limited unless the type of CBT is clearly defined