Current Literature


Cognitive behavior therapy, exercise, or both for treating chronic widespread pain.

Archives of Internal Medicine.  2012;172(1):48-57.

McBeth J, Prescott G, Scotland G, et al.

This overview was created under the auspices of KnowledgePoint360 Group, LLC, and was not associated with funding via an educational grant or a promotional interest.
 
McBeth and colleagues compared the impact of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) delivered via phone, exercise, or a combination of the two interventions among subjects with chronic widespread pain.
 
Subjects (N=442) with chronic widespread pain (as per American College of Rheumatology criteria) were randomized to one of the following interventions over a 6-month study period: CBT via phone, graded exercise, CBT via phone + graded exercise, or treatment as usual.
 
The study’s primary outcome was change in health status, which was assessed via a seven-point scale (range: “very much worse” to “very much better”; positive outcome defined as “much better” or “very much better”) at baseline, 6 months, and 9 months post-randomization.
 
Results
  • Positive outcomes were observed as follows (P<0.001):
 
6 months
9 months
Treatment as usual
8%
8%
CBT via phone
30%
33%
Graded exercise
35%
24%
CBT via phone + graded exercise
37%
37%
  •  When adjusted for variables including age, baseline predictors of outcome, and sex, active interventions demonstrated improved outcomes vs treatment as usual
 
6 months
OR (95% CI)
9 months
OR (95% CI)
CBT via phone
5.0 (2.0–12.5)
5.4 (2.3–12.8)
Graded exercise
6.1 (2.5–15.1)
3.6 (1.5–8.5)
CBT via phone + graded exercise
7.1 (2.9–17.2)
6.2 (2.7–14.4)
OR=odds ratio; CI=confidence interval.
 
Don’t miss slides on this study in our Slide Library:
 
This overview was created under the auspices of KnowledgePoint360 Group, LLC, and was not associated with funding via an educational grant or a promotional interest.
 
April 2012

 


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