Poster Abstracts
Amy Frers, PhD
Psychologist
VA
Tacoma, Washington
Lauren Hollrah, Psy.D
Psychologist
VA
Tacoma, Washington
There were 153 Veterans in the face to face FRP and 20 Veterans from the virtual FRP. Face to face FRP participants were predominantly male (69.7%), White (68.3%), and had chronic pain for a mean of 15.43 years. Participants in the virtual FRP were also mostly male (70.0%), White, (60.0%), and had chronic pain for a mean of 13.47 years. Paired samples t-tests revealed that participants in the face to face FRP improved on all outcome measures (all p < .001). Paired samples t-tests of the virtual FRP showed that participants improved on all outcome measures except for kinesiophobia.
Conclusions: We found that both the face to face and virtual treatment options were effective approaches for managing pain. This is consistent with what the literature has reported. The virtual group may involve less physical movement, which limits improvements in kinesiophobia. The FRP at the American Lake VA required participants to exercise in the gym with a physical therapist weekly, which was encouraged but not required virtually. Notably, a recent meta-analysis of functional restoration programs indicated that only 2 of 8 of the programs evaluated included physical exercise (Booth et al., 2021). However, our results suggest that including movement interventions may be a key aspect of FRPs for reducing kinesiophobia. Limitations of the present study include a small number of participants and a lack of longitudinal data to examine long-term effects of the virtual FRP. Future research should explore ways to reduce kinesiophobia virtually and consider how these methods can be integrated into an FRP. Given that virtual care is more accessible, it may expand the ability to offer treatment to more Veterans, thus increasing participation in pain management programs. FRPs should adapt to provide the most effective treatment possible to the most Veterans wishing to participate.
References: Booth, G., Williams, D., Patel, H., & Gilbert, A. W. (2022). What is the content of virtually delivered pain management programmes for people with persistent musculoskeletal pain? A systematic review. British Journal of Pain, 16(1), 84-95.
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Gaskin, D. J., & Richard, P. (2012). The economic costs of pain in the United States. The journal of pain, 13(8), 715-724.
Theodore, B. R., Mayer, T. G., Gatchel, R. J. (2015). Cost-effectiveness of early versus delayed functional restoration for chronic disabling occupational musculoskeletal disorders. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 25(2), 303-15.