GROUP EDUCATION INTERVENTIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH LOW-BACK-PAIN - AN OVERVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Study Design, This study systematically reviewed the literature on gro up education for people with low back pain. Findings are considered in relation to parameters such as the characteristics of the study parti cipants, the intervention, and the setting. Objective. To make a recom mendation regarding the effectiveness of group education as an interve ntion for people with low back pain. Results. Based on a systematic se arch of the literature, 13 primary studies are cited; 6 of these were sufficiently well designed and executed for their findings to be consi dered. Of the four quality studies with chronic back pain subjects, on ly one found a positive short-term effect on one of the outcome measur es considered (pain intensity). In the two studies with acute cases, g roup education was found by one of the studies to reduce pain duration and initial sick leave duration in the short term, but the interventi on also included work-site visits. At 1 year of follow-up, there was n o evidence in the six studies of clinically important benefits on any of the outcome measures. Conclusions. There is insufficient evidence t o recommend group education for people with low back pain.