Effectiveness of Pain Neuroscience Education in Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain and Central Sensitization: A Systematic Review 2023 Lepri

Abstract

Objective: To collect the available evidence about the effectiveness of pain neuroscience education (PNE) on pain, disability, and psychosocial factors in patients with chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain and central sensitization (CS).

Methods: A systematic review was conducted. Searches were performed on Pubmed, PEDro, and CINAHL, and only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) enrolling patients ≥18 years of age with chronic MSK pain due to CS were included. No meta-analysis was conducted, and qualitative analysis was realized. Results: 15 RCTs were included. Findings were divided for diagnostic criteria (fibromyalgia—FM, chronic fatigue syndrome—CFS, low back pain—LBP, chronic spinal pain—CSP). PNE has been proposed as a single intervention or associated with other approaches, and different measures were used for the main outcomes considered.

Conclusions, practice implication: PNE is effective in improving pain, disability, and psychosocial factors in patients with fibromyalgia, chronic low back pain (CLBP)—especially if associated with other therapeutic approaches—and also in patients with CFS and CSP. Overall, PNE seems to be more effective when proposed in one-to-one oral sessions and associated with reinforcement elements. However, specific eligibility criteria for chronic MSK pain due to CS are still lacking in most RCTs; therefore, for future research, it is mandatory to specify such criteria in primary studies.

Open access, https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/5/4098

 

Nice to be able to draw a conclusion without any results.

 

GI
GO

 

The study just claims that CFS is a central sensitization phenomenon with absolutely no evidence that’s the case. They cite to a paper about musculoskeletal pain in central sensitization as the reference. Doesn’t anybody police this space? Was this peer reviewed? I would honestly like to write the most ridiculous paper possible in the realm of psychosomatic medicine, and I bet it could get positive feedback from these ideologues.

 

Reviews like this one are more like a declaration that the authors think pain neuroscience education works, regardless of the evidence, and that their (future) work should be interpreted with this bias in mind.