Back pain has considerable negative effects on the quality of life of affected individuals. Individuals with new-onset back pain have an increased risk of lower quality of life scores, and the negative effect on quality of life increases with persistent pain. Patients with chronic back pain report a quality of life that is lower than individuals without pain and that is comparable to those of individuals with life-threatening diagnoses. In addition, back pain is associated with worry and fears, particularly about the (sense of) self and socialrelationships and especially when pain persists longer than expected.
The purpose of the study is to determine the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy on functional outcomes, pain, and pain-related anxiety in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain