Integrating Mobile Health and Physical Activity to Reduce the Burden of Chronic Low Back Pain Trial (IMPACT): a Pilot Trial Protocol

Overview

Journal BMC Musculoskelet Disord

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialties Orthopedics
Physiology

Date 2016 Jan 21

PMID 26787469

Citations 16

Authors

Anita B Amorim

Evangelos Pappas

Milena Simic

Manuela L Ferreira

Anne Tiedemann

Matthew Jennings

Paulo H Ferreira

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: It is well recognised that low back pain is a significant public health problem and engagement in moderate levels of physical activity is associated with positive outcomes. Conservative active care, such as exercise, is effective in reducing pain and disability associated with chronic low back pain. However, a rapid decline in clinical outcomes is commonly seen after discharge from treatment.

Methods/design: We will conduct a randomised controlled trial to investigate the effectiveness of a mobile health supported physical activity intervention (compared to standard care) in care-seeking, pain and disability in people with chronic low back pain after discharge from treatment. We will recruit 68 patients with chronic low back pain following discharge from an outpatient hospital program, who will be randomly allocated to the physical activity intervention (n = 34) or the standard care group (n = 34) and monitored for 6 months. The physical activity intervention will involve a physical activity advice booklet, a face-to-face health coaching session and 12 fortnightly follow-up telephone-based health coaching sessions. This intervention will be supported by provision of a specifically designed web app and a physical activity monitoring device (FitBit). The standard care group will receive the physical activity advice booklet only.

Discussion: This pilot trial will investigate a new model to prevent clinical decline in people following conservative treatment for chronic low back pain. If proven to be effective, this approach will constitute a major advance in the management of low back pain. Chronic patients who experience recurrent pain and disability after treatment are prone to seek additional care in the form of physiotherapy, medication, emergency department attendance, specialist consultation or spinal surgery. This model aims to maintain functional levels and reduce care-seeking empowering patients to self-manage their low back pain by offering them a contemporary patient-centred physical activity program with the support of mobile health technology. The outcomes of this trial will have immediate implications for clinical practice.

Trial Registration: ACTRN12615000189527 (26-02-2015).

Citing Articles

Models of care for managing non-specific low back pain.

Docking S, Sridhar S, Haas R, Mao K, Ramsay H, Buchbinder R Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2025; 3:CD015083.

PMID: 40052535 PMC: 11887030. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD015083.pub2.

Smartphone applications are used for self-management, telerehabilitation, evaluation and data collection in low back pain healthcare: a scoping review.

Dobija L, Lechauve J, Mbony-Irankunda D, Plan-Paquet A, Dupeyron A, Coudeyre E F1000Res. 2024; 11:1001.

PMID: 38846061 PMC: 11153999. DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.123331.2.

Exploring mHealth applications for self-management of chronic low back pain: A survey of features and benefits.

Kheirinejad S, Visuri A, Suryanarayana S, Hosio S Heliyon. 2023; 9(6):e16586.

PMID: 37346357 PMC: 10279785. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16586.

App-Based Rehabilitation in Back Pain, a Systematic Review.

Stark C, Cunningham J, Turner P, Johnson M, Backer H J Pers Med. 2022; 12(10).

PMID: 36294697 PMC: 9604788. DOI: 10.3390/jpm12101558.

"Back Rx, a personalized mobile phone application for discogenic chronic low back pain: a prospective pilot study".

Vad V, Madrazo-Ibarra A, Estrin D, Pollak J, Carroll K, Vojta D BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2022; 23(1):923.

PMID: 36261825 PMC: 9580128. DOI: 10.1186/s12891-022-05883-9.

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