Background: Pain neuroscience education (PNE) has shown efficacy in treating chronic pain. Clinicians may believe PNE is not suitable for acute and sub-acute pain. Subgroupings of low back pain (LBP) imply some patients with LBP may respond favorably to PNE.~Objective: To determine if PNE would result in positive clinical changes in patients presenting with acute or sub-acute LBP.~Methods: Eighty consecutive patients with LBP < 3 months were enrolled in the study. Patients completed a demographics questionnaire, leg and LBP rating (Numeric Pain Rating Scale - NPRS), disability (Oswestry Disability Index), fear-avoidance (Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire), pain catastrophization (Pain Catastrophization Scale), central sensitization (Central Sensitization Inventory), pain knowledge (Revised Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire), risk assessment (Keele STarT Back Screening Tool), active trunk flexion and straight leg raise (SLR). Patients received a 15-minute verbal, one-on-one PNE session, followed by repeat measurement of LBP and leg pain (NPRS), trunk flexion and SLR.
To determine if Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) would result in positive clinical changes in patients presenting with acute or sub-acute low back pain (LBP).