Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Improving Chronic Pain

Abstract

Nonpharmacologic chronic pain interventions may reduce the risks associated with pharmacotherapy and help address the complexity of the condition. At the project site there were no systematic processes to manage pain, so an evidence-based solution was sought. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental quality improvement project was to determine if or to what degree the translation of Thorn et al.’s research regarding Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) would impact pain scores when compared to current practice among adults with chronic pain. The project was implemented over a four-week period in a rural Oregon integrated primary care clinic. Sister Callista Roy’s adaptation theory of nursing and the Iowa model of evidence-based practice provided the project’s scientific underpinnings. Data were collected from the Brief Pain Inventory at baseline and post-implementation. The total sample size was n = 12. A paired t-test was used and showed there was no statistically significant difference in pain scores with the CBT intervention from baseline (M = 4.75, SD = 2.56) to post-implementation (M = 4.67, SD = 2.57), t (11) = .20, p = .845. Clinical significance was supported by the .083-pointdecline in pain scores after CBT. Based on these results, implementing the translation of Thorn et al.’s research utilizing CBT may improve pain management in this population. Recommendations include sustaining the project over a longer time period with a larger sample and disseminating the results.