Psychological Interventions in Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review

Chronic low Back Pain (CLBP) is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders with possible psychological consequences for the patients. This study aimed to review all evidence on the effectiveness of psychological interventions in improving the mental status of people with CLBP and providing recommendations for future therapeutic interventions.

This systematic review was conducted on the articles published from January 2010 to December 2020. The keywords included “psychology”, “intervention”, “low back pain”, “chronic disease”, “quality of life”, “empowerment”, “psychotherapy”, “psychological interventions”, “clinical trials”, and “randomized clinical trials” in the indexing databases of Magiran, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Of the total 1740 articles found, 14 articles were selected for review.

The results showed that Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and its combination therapies with mindfulness techniques played an influential role in improving psychological status and quality of life, and reducing pain perception in CLBP patients. The lack of RCT (randomized controlled trial) research and follow-up to assess long-term outcomes are the main limitations of the studies conducted in Iran.

It is recommended that psychological interventions be considered alongside medical therapies to improve CLBP patients’ adjustment to chronic condition and their quality of life. Researchers and therapists should consider treatment programs based on RCT plans and long-term follow-up.