Chronic Pain Self-Management Support With Pain Science Education and Exercise (COMMENCE) for People With Chronic Pain and Multiple Comorbidities: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2020 May;101(5):750-761. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2019.12.016. Epub 2020 Jan 29.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of chronic pain self-management support with pain science education and exercise (COMMENCE) on improving function, pain interference, work status, pain intensity, fatigue, psychological factors associated with pain, health care visits, satisfaction, and perceived change compared with usual care.

Design: Parallel group randomized controlled trial with 1- and 12-week follow-ups.

Setting: Community health center.

Participants: Adults (N=102) with chronic noncancer pain referred for self-management support. Eighty of 102 participants completed 12-week follow-up assessments. No participants withdrew with adverse events.

Interventions: Participants were randomized to COMMENCE or usual care.

Main outcome measures: Primary: Function measured using the Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment-Dysfunction Index. Secondary: Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment-Bother Index, Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System pain interference, work status, numeric pain, and fatigue rating scales, Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Pain Self-Efficacy Scale, Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire, number of health care visits, satisfaction, and global rating of change.

Results: COMMENCE resulted in greater improvements in function (mean difference [MD] at 12-wk follow-up=-8.0; 95% CI, -14.7 to -1.3), bother with functional difficulties (MD, -12.0; 95% CI, -20.8 to -3.2), pain intensity (MD, -1.0; 95% CI, -2.1 to -0.1), catastrophizing (MD , -8.2; 95% CI, -14.5 to -2.0), self-efficacy (MD, 7.0; 95% CI, 0.8-13.2), knowledge (MD, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.6-3.9), satisfaction (MD, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.7-1.8), and perceived change (MD, 1.4; 95% CI, 0.8-2.1). There were no significant between-group differences in pain interference, work, fatigue, depressive symptoms, or health care visits.

Conclusion: COMMENCE is more effective than usual care at improving function, pain, catastrophic thinking, self-efficacy, pain knowledge, satisfaction, and perceived change but not pain interference, work status, fatigue, depressive symptoms, or health care visits.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02422459.

Keywords: Chronic pain; Exercise; Patient education as topic; Rehabilitation; Self-management.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Catastrophization / epidemiology
  • Chronic Pain / epidemiology
  • Chronic Pain / rehabilitation*
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy*
  • Depression / epidemiology
  • Disability Evaluation
  • Exercise Therapy*
  • Fatigue / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Health Services / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multimorbidity
  • Ontario / epidemiology
  • Pain Measurement
  • Patient Satisfaction
  • Self Efficacy
  • Self-Management*

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT02422459

Grants and funding