About this trial
We will recruit overweight/ obese participants between the age of 18 and 65 with chronic nonspecific low back pain . The participants will be randomly assigned to one of two interventions (each lasting 10 weeks). All interventions will be delivered in a blended format and will be a combination of online education material and face-to-face sessions with a physical therapist. The first group (experimental intervention) will receive a behavioral weight reduction program combined with pain neuroscience education plus cognition-targeted exercise therapy. Participants in the second group (control intervention) will receive pain neuroscience education and cognition-targeted exercise therapy alone. Allocation to the groups will be at random. Participants and assessors will be blinded for group allocation. The primary outcomes is pain intensity. Secondary outcomes include other pain related outcomes, body composition, physical activity, sedentary behavior, dietary intake and function.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) or obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) with chronic low back pain
Non-specific low back pain for at least 3 months' duration
Currently seeking care for low back pain
Native Dutch speaker
Disqualifiers
Leg pain of 7 or higher (on a maximum of 10) on a numeric rating scale
Evidence of specific spinal pathology (e.g., hernia, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, infection, spinal fracture or malignancy)
Evidence of a severe underlying comorbidity (e.g. diabetes, cardiovascular problems, metabolic diseases)
BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Pain Neuroscience Education
- Cognition-targeted exercise therapy
- Behavioral weight reduction program
Treatment groups
Sponsors and collaborators
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Lead sponsor
Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences
Collaborator