Emotional processing and its relationship to chronic low back pain: Results from a case-control study

Effect of a Healing Program Using Marine Resources on Reducing Pain and Improving Physical Function in Patients with Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial Study

Background and Objectives: Chronic low back pain is a widespread condition, particularly in older populations, contributing to physical, mental, and social burdens. Traditional treatments, such as medications and surgery, carry long-term risks, including dependency, side-effects, and complications from invasive procedures. Additionally, healthcare accessibility is limited due to high costs, long waiting times, and geographic disparities in healthcare services, particularly in rural areas. For these reasons, non-pharmacological approaches that address both physical and psychological aspects are increasingly recognized as effective. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a marine resource-based healing program in Taean, South Korea, in improving pain, physical function, and mental health in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain. Materials and Methods: This randomized controlled trial involved 46 participants with non-specific chronic low back pain (mean age, 68.7 ± 5.1 years), randomly allocated to either an experimental group (marine healing program) or a control group (core exercises). The experimental group participated in a 4-night, 5-day intervention comprising heated peat pack therapy, mindfulness meditation, core exercises, and local tourism. The control group performed core exercises without additional interventions. Key outcomes included pain, muscle properties, functional disability, lower extremity function, balance, gait, and depression. Results: The experimental group demonstrated significant reductions in resting pain (p < 0.001), improved pressure pain threshold at L3 (p < 0.001), decreased L3 muscle tone (p = 0.015), and improved functional disability scores (p < 0.001). Functional gains were observed in lower extremity function scores (p < 0.001), balance (sway area: p = 0.046), gait velocity (p < 0.001), and depression levels (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The marine healing program significantly improved pain, functional abilities, and mental well-being in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain, highlighting its potential as an integrative approach to chronic low back pain management. Further studies are recommended to explore long-term and generalized effects.

Engagement with emotional concerns in general practice: a thematic analysis of GP consultations

BACKGROUND

Emotional concerns (defined as any expression of low mood, anxiety, or psychosocial stress) are an important part of the biopsychosocial care model used in modern medical practice. Previous work has demonstrated variable engagement with emotional concerns and that improved communication has been associated with reductions in emotional distress.

AIM

To examine how emotional concerns are engaged with during routine GP consultations.

DESIGN & SETTING

Secondary study using the Harnessing Resources from the Internet (HaRI) database. The available dataset contains 231 recordings from 10 GPs across eight urban and suburban practices recorded in 2017 and 2018.

METHOD

The dataset was reviewed to identify any consultations containing emotional concerns (as defined as any expression of low mood, anxiety, or psychosocial stress) before being imported into NVivo (version 12) to facilitate thematic analysis and coding. Reflexive inductive thematic analysis resulted in two major themes.

RESULTS

The two main themes were as follows: engagement with emotional concerns as dynamic throughout consultations; and GPs engage with emotional concerns both diagnostically and therapeutically. In theme 1, this dynamism relates to competing areas of focus, immediate versus delayed engagement and reiteration of concerns throughout consultations. Emotional concerns can be engaged with in a similar way to physical concerns (theme 2) using a diagnostic and treatment-based approach; however, in addition to this, therapeutic listening and conversation is utilised.

CONCLUSION

Awareness of the dynamic nature of emotional concerns within consultations and encouraging engagement with concerns in a flexible and patient-oriented manner may help improve doctor-patient communication. In addition, investigating how GPs and patients build shared understanding around emotional concerns may identify methods to reduce patients' emotional distress.

Psychometric properties of the emotional processing scale in individuals with psychiatric symptoms and the development of a brief 15-item version

The 25-item Emotional Processing Scale (EPS) can be used with clinical populations, but there is little research on its psychometric properties (factor structure, test-retest reliability, and validity) in individuals with psychiatric symptoms. We administered the EPS-25 to a large sample of people (N = 512) with elevated psychiatric symptoms. We used confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate three a priori models from previous research and then evaluated discriminant and convergent validity against measures of alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20), depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionaire-9), and anxiety symptoms (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7). None of the a priori models achieved acceptable fit, and subsequent exploratory factor analysis did not yield a clear factor solution for the 25 items. A 5-factor model did, however, achieve acceptable fit when we retained only 15 items, and this solution was replicated in a validation sample. Convergent and discriminant validity for this revised version, the EPS-15, was r = - 0.19 to 0.46 vs. TAS-20, r = 0.07- 0.25 vs. PHQ-9, and r = 0.29- 0.57 vs. GAD-7. Test-retest reliability was acceptable (ICC = 0.73). This study strengthens the case for the reliability and validity of the 5-factor structure of the EPS but suggest that only 15 items should be retained. Future studies should further examine the reliability and validity of the EPS-15.

Do difficulties in emotional processing predict procedure pain and shape the patient's colonoscopy experience?

OBJECTIVES

Pain and fear of colonoscopy are inter-related; they make the colonoscopy experience unpleasant and impede adherence to colorectal cancer screening and prevention campaigns. According to previous research, fear and pain have been found to depend on patients' maladaptive cognitions and exaggerated emotional responses. The present study investigated whether emotional processing difficulties predicted colonoscopy pain and the associated catastrophising thoughts.

DESIGN

Prospective, observational, blinded.

METHOD

A sample of 123 patients was assessed for specific emotional processing difficulties (ie, suppression of emotions, unprocessed emotions, failure to control emotions, avoidance of emotional triggers and impoverished emotional experience) and anxiety-related variables (ie, worry, anxiety and depression) before colonoscopy. A trained medical doctor rated patients' behavioural manifestations of pain during colonoscopy. After complete recovery from sedation, the patients rated the endoscopy experience using perceived pain and situation-specific pain catastrophising scales.

RESULTS

About half of the patients were above the cut-off for anxiety before the procedure. Notwithstanding sedation, behavioural manifestations of pain during colonoscopy indicated probable or moderate pain for about one-third of the patients. Failure to control emotions, poor emotional experience and avoiding emotional triggers were positively correlated with behavioural manifestations of pain, self-reported pain and pain catastrophising. Regression analyses, controlling for gender, age, colonoscopy experience and sedation, revealed that avoidance of emotional triggers uniquely contributed to predicting pain outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Early identification of emotional processing difficulties associated with pain catastrophising can help define personalised psychological preparation paths to manage negative emotions in patients who fear colonoscopy pain.

Emotional Processing and Its Association to Somatic Symptom Change in Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy for Somatic Symptom Disorder: A Preliminary Mediation Investigation

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate emotional processing as a potential mediator in therapist-guided, internet-based Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (I-EAET) for somatic symptom disorder, using data from a previously published pilot study.

Methods: Participants (N = 52) engaged in a 9-week I-EAET treatment. Before treatment and each week during treatment (i.e., 10 weekly measurements), emotional processing was assessed with the Emotional Processing Scale-25 (EPS-25), which contains five subscales, and somatic symptoms were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15).

Results: Mediation analyses using linear mixed models showed that two EPS-25 subscales—Signs of Unprocessed Emotions and Impoverished Emotional Experience—were uniquely associated with somatic symptom reduction. The proportion of the mediated effect was 0.49, indicating that about half of the total association of the PHQ-15 with symptoms was accounted for by the two EPS-25 subscales.

Conclusion: This preliminary mediation analysis suggests that improved emotional processing is associated with change in somatic symptoms in I-EAET. However, randomized controlled and comparison trials are needed to establish that I-EAET creates the change in emotional processing and that such changes are specific to I-EAET.

Changes in Emotion Processing following Brief Augmented Psychodynamic Interpersonal Therapy for Functional Neurological Symptoms

Background: Functional neurological symptoms (FNS) are considered non-volitional and often very disabling, but are not explainable by neurological disease or structural abnormalities. Brief Augmented Psychodynamic Interpersonal Therapy (BAPIT) was adapted to treat the putative emotion processing deficits thought to be central to FNS aetiology and maintenance. BAPIT for FNS has previously been shown to improve levels of distress and functioning, but it is unknown whether improvements on such measures correlate with changes in emotion processing ‒ which this treatment focuses on. Aim: To determine (a) whether the recently developed Emotional Processing Scale-25 can be used to demonstrate BAPIT-associated changes in patients with FNS, and (b) whether changes in the EPS-25 are associated with changes in previously validated outcome measures. Method: 44 patients with FNS completed questionnaires including the EPS-25 and measures of clinical symptomology (health-related quality of life (SF-36), somatic symptoms (PHQ-15), psychological distress (CORE-10) and illness understanding (BIPQ)) pre- and post-therapy. Results: At group level, emotion processing improved following therapy (p = .049). Some measures of clinical symptomology also improved, namely health-related quality of life (p = .02) and illness understanding (p = .01). Improvements in the EPS-25 correlated with improvements in mental health-related quality of life and psychological distress. Conclusions: Emotion processing and some measures of clinical symptomology improved in patients with FNS following BAPIT. The EPS-25 demonstrated changes that correlated with previously validated outcome measures. The EPS-25 is a suitable measure of psychotherapy-associated change in the FNS patient population.

A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial Comparing Davanloo Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy as Internet-Delivered Vs Treatment as Usual for Medically Unexplained Pain: A 6-Month Pilot Study

BACKGROUND

Research has shown that Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) can effectively decrease pain intensity and improve quality of life in patients with medically unexplained pain.

OBJECTIVE

Understanding that not all patients with medically unexplained pain have access to in-person ISTDP, this study aims to investigate the efficacy of an Internet-delivered ISTDP for individuals with medically unexplained pain using Skype in comparison with treatment as usual.

METHOD

In this randomized controlled trial, 100 patients were randomly allocated into Internet-delivered ISTDP (n = 50) and treatment-as- usual (n = 50) groups. Treatment intervention consisted of 16 weekly, hour-long therapy sessions. The primary outcome was perceived pain assessed using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale. The secondary outcome included Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, and Quality-of-Life Inventory. Blind assessments were conducted at the baseline, posttreatment, and at a 6-month follow-up.

RESULTS

In the intention-to-treat analysis, pain symptoms in the intervention group were significantly reduced (p < 0.001), whereas a reduction was not observed in the treatment as usual group (p = 0.651). Moreover, there were significant decreases in depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as a greater increase in emotion regulation functioning, mindfulness, and quality of life observed in the intervention group 6 months after the treatment compared with the treatment as usual condition.

CONCLUSION

The results of this pilot trial demonstrate that 16 weeks of ISTDP delivered by Skype can significantly improve pain intensity and clinical symptoms of medically unexplained pain.

Management of a patient with chronic low back pain and multiple health conditions using a pain mechanisms-based classification approach

STUDY DESIGN

Case report.

BACKGROUND

Pain can lead to a significant reduction in quality of life. A pain mechanisms-based classification scheme has been outlined to improve management of patients with pain, but studies describing its use are limited. Evidence for physical therapy interventions in those with chronic pain and multiple health conditions is also lacking. This case report describes management of a patient with chronic pain and multiple health conditions.

CASE DESCRIPTION

A 29-year-old man presented with a 3-year history of low back pain and 11-month history of lower extremity paresthesia. Current health conditions included left-sided hemiparesis secondary to a stroke, pancreatic kidney transplant, left-sided blindness, and osteoporosis secondary to hyperparathyroidism. Inability to walk to school and sit through class, and pain-related sleep disruption were the primary activity and participation restrictions. Outcome measures included the numeric pain rating scale, global rating of change, Oswestry Disability Index, and pain medication usage. A score of 12 on the Leeds assessment of neuropathic symptoms and signs (LANSS) pain scale indicated the presence of neuropathic pain, but other pain mechanisms were also hypothesized to be present. Treatment was designed to improve patient goals considering these pain mechanisms.

OUTCOMES

The patient was seen for 20 visits over 6 months. Ten months after the initial evaluation, the patient's Oswestry Disability Index scores improved by more than 50% and the patient achieved all initially stated goals without pain medication.

DISCUSSION

A pain mechanisms-based approach assisted in the management of a patient with chronic pain and multiple health conditions. Using this approach may enhance clinical decision making when managing individuals with chronic pain.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapy, level 4.