Avoidance behavior and back pain - Implications for new therapeutical options?

Abstract

Several international studies demonstrated that fearful avoidance towards physical and social activities might intervene between chronic low-back Pain and disability. It could be demonstrated that inducing pain anticipation led to significant lower levels of behavioral performance as well as to an increase in pain intensity. Behavioral performance is highly correlated with fear-avoidance-beliefs. Results confirm that pain anticipation and beliefs have a significant influence on the behaviour of patients with low-back pain in the sense that they motivate avoidance behavior. Therapists have to be aware of the powerful effects of cognitive processes, which can give rise to fear of pain and consequently avoidance behavior.