Cognitive functional therapy for lower back pain: A meta-analytical assessment of pain and disability outcomes in randomized controlled trials.

BackgroundCognitive functional therapy (CFT) aims to address low back pain (LBP) comprehensively by considering physical, psychological, and social factors.ObjectiveThe objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of CFT in reducing pain and disability in individuals with LBP over various time intervals.MethodA comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of CFT on LBP.ResultsIn this study, 1510 records were initially identified, and 7 studies were included in the analysis. Disability scores were significantly reduced after CFT had been applied for 6 to 8 weeks (SMD =-0.46, 95% CI [-0.74, -0.19]), 12 weeks to 3 months (SMD =-0.54, 95% CI [-0.72, -0.36]), 6 months (MD =-5.82, 95% CI [-9.82, -1.82]), and 12 months (SMD =-0.4, 95% CI [-0.55, -0.26]). There were also significant reductions in pain scores observed after 12 weeks to 3 months (SMD =-0.49, 95% CI [-0.68, -0.3]), 6 months (MD =-0.75, 95% CI [-1.5, -0.0001]), and 12 months (SMD =-0.27, 95% CI [-0.42, -0.12]).ConclusionCFT showed potential for improving disability scores for individuals with LBP across various time intervals. However, its impacts on pain scores varied.