The Boulder Back Pain Study

In 2017 the PPD Association crowdfunded over $100,000 from over 500 donors in 24 countries around the world. This allowed the Boulder (Colorado) Back Pain Study to expand from two study groups by adding a third group that would receive Pain Relief Psychotherapy. 

150 patients who had suffered back pain without signs of nerve damage (such as muscle weakness, loss of reflexes, numbness, bowel or bladder dysfunction) were selected for the study. Back pain duration was an average of ten years. The patients were randomly divided into three groups and treated either with (1) their usual medical care, (2) a placebo (fully disclosed to participants) injection into the spine, or (3) two one-hour sessions of Pain Relief Psychotherapy every week for four weeks.

The graph shows the average pain score (vertical axis) for each group during the one year (horizontal axis) of the study. All three groups begin with an average pain score of a little more than 4 out of 10. Then the Pain Relief Therapy group pain score (Blue Line) rapidly improves to 1 out of 10 by the end of the four weeks of treatment and remains lowfor the following 11 months. Two-thirds of the Psychotherapy Group patients had zero pain after treatment, despite previously being in pain for an average of 10 years. Pain relief in the other two groups was minimal (Red for Placebo, Black for no treatment). Another key result of the study is that fMRI brain scans showed change in brain anatomy after Psychotherapy that was not seen in the other two groups.

Collectively the evidence in this study strongly supports a Psychophysiologic Disorder as the cause of back pain in these patients and shows the dramatic benefits of treatment with Pain Relief Psychotherapy.

To watch a wonderful documentary film about this research click Pain Brain. If you become a PPDA Member, you can get a 20% discount off the price if you go to the Discounts and Benefits page under the Members tab. Click here to Learn More about Membership.

Ashar YK, Gordon A, Schubiner H et al (2021). Effect of Pain Reprocessing Therapy vs Placebo and Usual Care for Patients with Chronic Back Pain.  A Randomized Clinical Trial.   JAMA Psychiatry. Published online September 29, 2021. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.2669