Cognitive Functional Therapy

| CTF

Back pain can impact all aspects of a person’s life, such as their engagement in daily living, work, physical and social activity. Around 20-30% of people who develop low back pain go onto develop chronic (persistent) low back pain. This can result in high levels of distress and disability.

To date, traditional treatments for back pain, such as massage, spinal manipulation, medication, injections and surgery, have only shown small and short-lasting effects, and do not change the trajectory of low back pain in most people. Importantly, some of these treatments can produce significant and harmful side effects.

Over recent years there has been a shift to a more holistic understanding of back pain. We now understand back pain to be the result of a complex interaction between a range of biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors. This interaction is unique for each person.

Cognitive Functional Therapy (CFT) is a behavioural intervention for people with chronic low back pain, aligned to ‘best practice care guidelines’ based on the current best scientific evidence. CFT differs from traditional treatment approaches because it holistically addresses the wide range of individual factors that can lead to ongoing pain and disability. These include negative beliefs about back pain, emotional distress, and unhelpful behavioural responses to pain such as avoiding activity or being too protective during activity. These factors are known to be important barriers to recovery for people with chronic low back pain.