Chronic low back pain (LBP) is often accompanied by a considerable loss of quality of life. Those affected experience physical limitations that also have a negative socio-economic impact. At the same time, many LBP patients are affected by depression.

A research team at the Ruhr University Bochum, with the participation of Prof. Dr. Sigrid Elsenbruch from our CRC, has now investigated the role of treatment expectations in this difficult disease area. The result: if those affected expect little success from a new therapy, it has a significantly worse effect. A depressive mood also has a negative effect on the success of treatment  -  although this is apparently at least partly due to negative treatment expectations, which in particular depressive patients often exhibit.

Many patients with chronic low back pain have already had negative experiences with previous treatment attempts and are therefore less optimistic about new approaches. This in turn reduces their chances of a successful therapy  -  a vicious circle. In order to break this cycle, the researchers suggest working specifically on the treatment expectations of LBP sufferers. Especially when depression is also present.