Impact of an Information Booklet on Low Back Pain Persistence
Author Information
Author(s): Emmanuel Coudeyre, Florence Tubach, François Rannou, Gabriel Baron, Fernand Coriat, Sylvie Brin, Michel Revel, Serge Poiraudeau
Primary Institution: Centre de Médecine Physique et Réadaptation Notre Dame, Chamalières, France
Hypothesis
Does providing a standardized information booklet to patients with acute low back pain affect the persistence of pain after three months?
Conclusion
The information booklet modestly reduced the proportion of patients reporting persistent low back pain after three months.
Supporting Evidence
- 85% of patients were assessed at follow-up.
- 12.4% of participants reported persistent low back pain.
- The intervention group had a 3.6% lower rate of persistent pain compared to the control group.
Takeaway
Giving patients a simple booklet about back pain can help them feel better after a few months, but it doesn't completely fix the problem.
Methodology
A 3-month pragmatic, multicenter controlled trial with geographic stratification in primary care settings.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to GPs in the control group being aware of the study's focus on patient information.
Limitations
The study design was non-randomized, which may affect the validity of the results.
Participant Demographics
Mean age of participants was 45 years, with 57% male.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.01
Confidence Interval
95% CI [−6.3% ; −1.0%]
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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