Receiving preferred treatments may improve low back pain outcomes: a non-randomized comparative study

Front Pain Res (Lausanne). 2026 Feb 20;7:1687883. doi: 10.3389/fpain.2026.1687883. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare health-related outcomes between individuals with low back pain (LBP) who received their preferred treatments and those who received non-preferred treatments.

METHODS: A non-randomized, multicenter, comparative study was conducted. Patients with chronic LBP (duration >3 months) were recruited from military hospitals in Jordan. The LBP Treatment Beliefs Questionnaire (TBQ) was used to determine participants' treatment preferences across five treatment options. Baseline assessments of all outcome measures were compared with post-treatment assessments using multivariate and univariate analyses of variance.

RESULTS: A total of 205 participants completed the study with a mean age of 42.6 (±12.9). According to TBQ, 131 participants (63.9%) received their preferred treatment. Compared with the non-preferred group, the preferred group demonstrated a statistically significant (p < 0.001) decrease in numeric pain rating scores (adjusted mean difference = -0.87), Oswestry Disability Index scores (adjusted mean difference = -4.64), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS)-stress (adjusted mean difference = -1.91), DASS-anxiety (adjusted mean difference = -2.11), and DASS-depression (adjusted mean difference = -1.94).

CONCLUSION: Incorporating patients' treatment preferences into treatment plans may positively influence pain, functional outcomes, and psychological wellbeing.

PMID:41797978 | PMC:PMC12962917 | DOI:10.3389/fpain.2026.1687883