Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain

CBT-CP can be delivered in person or virtually in individual or group-based settings.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – Evidence Rating: Low to Moderate Quality

Evidence describing cognitive behavioral therapy for pain comes from multiple systematic reviews citing low to moderate quality evidence. These reviews draw from randomized control trials that sampled from populations with conditions including low back pain, fibromyalgia, and neck pain. Trials included in these systematic reviews generally had small sample sizes and did not report long-term outcomes, which limited the quality of their findings. Studies examining real-world application of CBT-CP have more consistently identified patient-level barriers to its uptake, but future research is needed to understand for whom CBT-CP is most efficacious, as well as provider- and system-level barriers to its use.

Evidence-based Scale

CBT-CP is traditionally delivered in individual and group-based settings. It can be delivered either in person or virtually. One telephone-based option, Therapeutic Interactive Voice Response, is based on CBT-CP principles and includes daily assessment calls, prerecorded educational materials and weekly feedback from therapists.

CBT-CP participation typically includes weekly, one-hour meetings for 8-12 weeks.