Background and Aim: The aim of this study was to measure the change in disability following a 2-week cognitive behavioural pain management program.

Methods: Subjects (n=67) were patients with chronic low-back pain referred to the 2-week, 70 hour program, who had no further medical treatment available. At referral their disability was assessed by way of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ). The program is aimed at changing their behaviour, and returning them to normal function as much as possible.

Data were assessed at intake, at the end of the 2-week program, and at follow-up after 1 month and after 1 year.

Results: Over the 2-week programme period there is a sharp decrease in the ODI and the RMDQ scores. ODI scores went from 38 to 29 (range 0–100), RMDQ scores went from 14 to 8 (range 0–24). Over the 1-year follow-up there is an additional decrease in ODI score of 6 points and an additional decrease in RMDQ score of 1 point.

Conclusion: The sharp decrease in disability scores over the 2-week programme period shows that cognitive factors, i.e. the perception of disability by the patients plays an important role, since two weeks is not adequate time to see significant improvement in physical function. The change in behaviour that results from the program may lead to the further reduction in disability scores.

Background and aims: The aim of this study is to investigate how people with chronic pain cope with everyday problems.

Methods: Subjects (202 men and 323 women) were patients with chronic pain referred to a rehabilitation unit. The Utrecht Coping List (Dutch version of the WCC – ways of coping checklist) was used to measure their coping style at referral. It has 7 factors: approach and avoidance, palliative behaviour, social support, depressive/passive reaction, expressing emotion and comforting cognitions.

Results: Men with chronic pain have lower scores on active problem solving behaviour, and higher scores on palliative behaviour and depressive reaction than men without pain (p< .001). Women with chronic pain have also lower scores on active problem solving behaviour than women without pain, but also on social support and expressing emotion. Like the men scores for women are higher on palliative behaviour (p< .001) and depressive reaction (p< .01), but also on avoidant behaviour (p< .01) and comforting cognitions (p< .001).

Data shows that women with pain have higher scores than men with pain on all scales, except for expressing emotion. Differences on palliative behaviour, avoidant behaviour, social support and comforting cognitions are significant (p < .001).

Conclusions: People – women as well as men – with chronic pain show less active coping behaviour, have a higher score on depressive reaction on problems and use more palliative behaviour in problem situations than people without somatic complaints. It is important to stress the differences between women and men with chronic pain in problem solving behaviour.