Culturally Sensitive Pain Education Program for Turkish Patients

October 4, 2018 updated by: Ceren Gürşen, Hacettepe University

The Effects of Culturally Sensitive Pain Education Program in Turkish Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

In last decade, the awareness has grown regarding the pain neuroscience education (PNE). In the literature, it has been found that there is strong evidence that the educational strategy of pain neuroscience education (PNE) can have positive effects on pain, disability, catastrophization, and physical performance in chronic musculoskeletal disorders. Nowadays, many physiotherapists integrate the PNE into the treatment of chronic pain. However, the importance of culturally sensitive approaches for the treatment of chronic pain has been proposed depending on the cultural differences of pain beliefs, pain cognitions, pain experiences and pain coping strategies in different ethnic populations. Therefore, the aim of this study is to compare the effects of a culturally sensitive PNE with a standard translated PNE on pain intensity, disability status, pain pressure thresholds and psychosocial factors (conceptualization of pain, pain beliefs, catastrophizing, kinesiophobia and illness perception) in Turkish patients with chronic low back pain (LBP).

The effects of culturally sensitive PNE format will be compared with the standard translated PNE in a pilot trial. 40 Turkish patients (first generation migrant living around Ghent) with chronic LBP, between the age of 18 and 65 years, will be randomized to the culturally sensitive PNE or standard translated PNE. The content of 2 sessions PNE include the explanation about differences of acute and chronic pain, purpose of acute pain, production of acute pain and chronic pain, and potential sustaining factors for central sensitization, but presented in different ways. They will be subjected to an individual education session and they will receive a home education program. In session 2 (after 1 week), they will come back to ascertain that everything is understood.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

In last decade, the awareness has grown regarding the pain neuroscience education (PNE). In the literature, it has been found that there is strong evidence that the educational strategy of pain neuroscience education (PNE) can have positive effects on pain, disability, catastrophization, and physical performance in chronic musculoskeletal disorders. Nowadays, many physiotherapists integrate the PNE into the treatment of chronic pain. However, the importance of culturally sensitive approaches for the treatment of chronic pain has been proposed depending on the cultural differences of pain beliefs, pain cognitions, pain experiences and pain coping strategies in different ethnic populations. Therefore, the aim of this study is to compare the effects of a culturally sensitive PNE with a standard translated PNE on pain intensity, disability status, pain pressure thresholds and psychosocial factors (conceptualization of pain, pain beliefs, catastrophizing, kinesiophobia and illness perception) in Turkish patients with chronic low back pain (LBP).

The effects of culturally sensitive PNE format will be compared with the standard translated PNE in a pilot trial. 40 Turkish patients (first generation migrant living around Ghent) with chronic LBP, between the age of 18 and 65 years, will be randomized to the culturally sensitive PNE or standard translated PNE. The content of 2 sessions PNE include the explanation about differences of acute and chronic pain, purpose of acute pain, production of acute pain and chronic pain, and potential sustaining factors for central sensitization, but presented in different ways. They will be subjected to an individual education session and they will receive a home education program. In session 2 (after 1 week), they will come back to ascertain that everything is understood.

The primary outcomes include pain intensity and disability status. Secondary outcome measures are pain pressure thresholds and psychosocial factors such as conceptualization of pain, pain Beliefs, catastrophizing, kinesiophobia and illness perceptions. Pain thresholds will be assessed with the pressure algometer. Pressure will be applied bilaterally at 3 pressure points: one on the mass of erector spinae muscle, one on the quadriceps muscle, and one on the trapezius muscle. All outcomes will be evaluated at baseline, day 7 (immediately after session 2) and after 1 month follow-up.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

29

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

      • Ghent, Belgium, 9000
        • Ghent University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 65 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 40 Turkish patients between the age of 18 and 65 years, with a diagnosis of non-specific chronic LBP (have pain at least 3 months and mean pain frequency is 3 or more days per week), who are diagnosed by a physician and not starting new treatments,medication or continuing usual care 6 weeks prior and during study participation will be included to the present study. First generation Turkish migrants who are born in turkey, being Turkish as a first language, and being of Turkish nationality will be eligible for inclusion in this study.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with uncontrolled mental health condition (eg, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder) that prevents the successful participation, specific pathologies, trauma, or pregnancy will be excluded. Study participants will be instructed to refrain from analgesics 48 hours prior to assessments.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
  • Allocation: RANDOMIZED
  • Interventional Model: PARALLEL
  • Masking: SINGLE

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: Culturally sensitive pain education
The content of the PNE program include the characteristics of acute and chronic pain, purpose of acute pain, formation process of acute pain from the nervous system, the formation process of chronic pain, and potential sustaining factors for central sensitization.
ACTIVE_COMPARATOR: Standard pain education
For the standard translated PNE, The English translation of "Pain Neuroscience Education: slides for supporting and illustrating your explanation" at the Pain in Motion Group web page (http://www.paininmotion.be/education/tools-for-clinical-practice) and English translation of the Patient Information Leaflet will be used. The education materials will be translated using the forward/backward translation process. The English version of PNE presentation and information leaflet will be translated to Turkish by two independent translators.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain intensity
Time Frame: change from baseline pain intensity at 4 week
"0-10" Numerical Pain Scale
change from baseline pain intensity at 4 week
Disability status
Time Frame: Change from baseline disability status at 4 week
Disability status will be assessed by using the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire ranging from 0 to 24; higher scores represent higher levels of pain-related disability.
Change from baseline disability status at 4 week

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain Pressure Thresholds
Time Frame: change from baseline pain pressure thresholds at 4 weeks
Pain pressure thresholds will be assessed with a hand held pressure algometer (Wagner Force 50) with a circular probe of one cm diameter. Perpendicular pressure will be applied at a constant rate (1kg/s) to the tissue surface. 3 pressure-points will be evaluated bilaterally: One pressure points are on the Erector spinae muscle mass at 5 cm laterally of the processus spinosus vertebrae of L3, one pressure pain is on the middle of the quadriceps muscle (between the anterior superior iliac spine and base of the patella), one pressure point is on the middle of the trapezius muscle (between acromion and processus spinosus of C7). Two measurements will be taken with a 30 second interval and the mean of the measurements will be recorded.
change from baseline pain pressure thresholds at 4 weeks
Knowledge of pain
Time Frame: change from baseline pain knowledge at 4 weeks
Knowledge of pain will be assessed by using the Revised Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire ranging from 0 to 13; higher scores represent higher levels of pain knowledge.
change from baseline pain knowledge at 4 weeks
Pain related beliefs
Time Frame: change from baseline pain beliefs at 4 weeks
Pain related beliefs will be assessed by using the Pain Beliefs Questionnaire consisting of two subscales: Organic Beliefs and Psychological Beliefs. Scores for each subscale ranges from 1 to 6; higher scores represent that having more negative pain beliefs.
change from baseline pain beliefs at 4 weeks
Pain catastrophization
Time Frame: change from baseline pain catastrophization at 4 weeks
Catastrophization of pain will be evaluated by using the Pain Catastrophizing Scale ranging from 0 to 52; higher scores represent higher levels of catastrophizing.
change from baseline pain catastrophization at 4 weeks
Fear avoidance beliefs related to pain
Time Frame: change from baseline kinesiophobia at 4 weeks
Fear avoidance will be evaluated by using the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia ranging from 17 to 68; higher scores represent higher levels of kinesiophobia.
change from baseline kinesiophobia at 4 weeks
Illness perceptions
Time Frame: change from baseline illness perceptions at 4 weeks
Illness perceptions will be evaluated by using the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire; ranges from 0 to 80; higher scores represent a more threatening view of the illness.
change from baseline illness perceptions at 4 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (ACTUAL)

April 1, 2018

Primary Completion (ACTUAL)

October 1, 2018

Study Completion (ACTUAL)

October 1, 2018

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 16, 2018

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 23, 2018

First Posted (ACTUAL)

March 30, 2018

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ACTUAL)

October 5, 2018

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 4, 2018

Last Verified

October 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • EC UZG 2018/0228

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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