Psychosocial approaches to the prevention of chronic pain: the low back paradigm

Psychosocial factors have the potential to influence an acute musculoskeletal pain problem at three distinct phases: the onset of pain; the seeking and receiving of health care and income support; and the development of chronic pain-related disability and work loss. Clinical management that ignores psychosocial factors has done little to stem the flow of individuals from acute to chronic pain and disability. Psychosocial factors are no longer considered as mere secondary reactions to pain. We now recognize that psychosocial factors are usually the best predictors of chronicity, and that many of the learned behaviours apparent in chronic musculoskeletal pain have their genesis in the first few days and weeks of the problem. These circumstances have combined to shift an emphasis onto the early care provided for patients by primary care health professionals. The concept of Red Flags as signs of serious disease has been extended to the readily understood idea of Yellow Flags that indicate psychosocial barriers to recovery. For many individuals these issues need to be addressed so that the risk of developing long-term disability and work loss can be reduced. Doing this is not mutually exclusive with providing for the biomedical needs of patients.