PLoS ONE (Jan 2021)

Complementary treatment comparison for chronic pain management: A randomized longitudinal study.

  • Aminata Bicego,
  • Justine Monseur,
  • Alain Collinet,
  • Anne-Françoise Donneau,
  • Robert Fontaine,
  • Dominique Libbrecht,
  • Nicole Malaise,
  • Anne-Sophie Nyssen,
  • Mélissa Raaf,
  • Floriane Rousseaux,
  • Irène Salamun,
  • Cécile Staquet,
  • Sandrine Teuwis,
  • Marco Tomasella,
  • Marie-Elisabeth Faymonville,
  • Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256001
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 8
p. e0256001

Abstract

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BackgroundIn chronic pain, it seems that the effect of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is boosted when it is combined with hypnosis. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of self-hypnosis combined with self-care (i.e., a type of CBT) compared to music/self-care, self-care and psychoeducation/CBT and to evaluate their long-term effects.MethodsAn open label randomized clinical trial enrolled patients with chronic pain and was carried out at the University Hospital of Liège (Belgium). Patients were randomized into four groups: self-hypnosis/self-care, music/self-care, self-care, psychoeducation/CBT (7 monthly sessions of 2 hours). Two follow-up sessions were delivered at 6- and 12-month. Levels of pain, fatigue intensity, anxiety, depression, insomnia severity, disability, health locus of control, mental and physical quality of life and attitudes (control, disability, harm, emotion, medical cure, medication, solicitude) towards pain were assessed before and after the treatments, and at follow-up.Results203 patients were randomized: 52 in self-hypnosis/self-care, 59 in music/self-care, 47 in self-care, and 45 in psychoeducation/CBT. No group effect was found. A significant time effect was showed. Directly after the treatment, all groups decreased in pain attitudes and physical quality of life. Perceived control increased. At 6-month, all patients kept their levels of physical quality of life and perceived control, and showed decrease in pain intensity, harm, emotion and medical cure. At 12-month, scores that had change previously remained ameliorated, a decrease in insomnia severity and an increase in internal locus of control were observed.ConclusionsThe present findings are encouraging as they display long-term beneficial effects of complementary biopsychosocial-based treatments in chronic pain. It seems that patients continued to apply the learnt strategies as improvements were observed one year after the treatments had ended.