Cognitive Behavioural Skills to Treat Back Pain: The Back Skills Training (BeST) Programme
Learn an evidence-based, cognitive behavioural approach to manage low back pain with this CPD course for health professionals.
Duration
6 weeksWeekly study
2 hours
Cognitive Behavioural Skills to Treat Back Pain: The Back Skills Training (BeST) Programme
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Understand a cognitive behavioural approach to manage ongoing low back pain
The Back Skills Training (BeST) programme focuses on ‘undoing’ beliefs about low back pain, and provides skills to become more active, despite pain. The programme was developed by experts in psychology, physiotherapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy, and people with long-standing low back pain. According to a rigorous clinical trial, the BeST programme produces long term reductions in people’s pain and disability and is a very cost effective treatment.
On this course you will explore the BeST programme, examining the causes of persistent low back pain, and the cognitive behavioural approach.
Syllabus
Week 1
Introduction and Background to the course
Meet the course team
Introduction to the Back Skills Training team
What is this course?
What is the BeST programme? How was it developed? What will you learn from this course?
Chronic low back pain
What is chronic low back pain?
Cognitive behavioural interventions
Introduction to cognitive behavioural interventions
Why this approach?
Why is a cognitive behavioural approach useful for managing chronic low back pain?
Delivery of the BeST programme
Summary outline and structure of the BeST programme
Week 2
Understanding the patients perspective
Introduction to Week 2
During Week 2, we will cover the BeST programme individual session. You will be able to download the guidance notes for this session. We introduce the first key skill of questioning and how to deal with distressed patients.
The patient's perspective
Learn the key skill of exploring the patient's perspective.
Home exercise planning
How to facilitate each patient in choosing a home exercise programme from a range of exercises at 3 levels.
Questioning techniques
Learn the key skill of questioning
Dealing with distress
Learn how to deal with distress that may arise when delivering the BeST programme.
Clinical considerations
Tips to deal with tricky topics that patients may raise within the BeST programme.
Week 3
Group sessions 1 and 2 of the BeST Programme
Introduction to Week 3
During Week 3, we will cover Group Sessions 1 and 2 of the BeST programme. You will be able to download summaries of each session. We introduce explaining pain; the cognitive behavioural model and the over/under activity cycle.
Explaining pain
Understand and learn to explain pain.
The cognitive behavioural model of activity and pain
Introduction to the cognitive behavioural model of activity and pain.
Group Session 2 of the BeST programme
Over / under activity cycling; pacing; goal setting and graded activity.
Over and under activity cycling
Introduction to over / under activity cycling and its effects.
Week 4
Group sessions 2 and 3 of the BeST Programme
Introduction to Week 4
During Week 4, we will cover Group Sessions 2 and 3 of the BeST programme. You will be able to download the crib sheets of each session. We will cover pacing, goal setting, and the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
Skills taught in the BeST programme
The skills taught in this session are: pacing, setting baselines and goal setting. Teaching patients these skills can help them gain control over their pain.
Thoughts, feelings and behaviours
Introduction to the differences and links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours, distinct types of thinking errors that lead to negative thoughts and the process of challenging thoughts in practice.
Bringing it together
Combining the learning about thought challenging with the model of low back pain.
Week 5
Group Sessions 4 and 5 of the BeST Programme
Introduction to Week 5
During Week 5, we will cover Group Sessions 4 and 5 of the BeST programme. You will be able to download the crib sheets of each session.
Fear of movement
Introduction to fear-avoidance and tackling fear of movement.
Relaxation
Introduction to relaxation and the role of relaxation techniques in pain management.
Worrying about pain
Introduction to the effects of worrying about pain and how to tackle this. Principles of taking medications to assist in pain management.
Further relaxation techniques
Introduction to 2 further types of relaxation - autogenic relaxation and visualization.
Week 6
Group Session 6 and Bringing it all together
Introduction to Week 6
During Week 6, we will cover the content of Group Session 6, plan for learning and implementation beyond this course, revisit key topics and bring together all of the learning from the course.
Dealing with flare-ups
Learn strategies that can be taught to patients to help them manage during good and bad phases.
Revisiting topics with BeST participants
Revisit the key aspects of pacing, goal setting, thought challenging, feared movements, exercise progression and relaxation techniques.
Key clinical skills
Consider the skill of using summaries. Revisit and revise the key skills of problem solving, questioning and dealing with distress.
Bringing it all together
Assessment for upgraded learners. Furthering your skills. Final thoughts. Contact details.
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Apply a cognitive behavioural approach to effectively help people better manage persistent low back pain.
- Reflect on how to implement these techniques in clinical practice.
- Lead a group back skills training (BeST) programme in your clinical setting.
- Demonstrate understanding of a cognitive behavioural approach to managing persistent low back pain.
Who is the course for?
This course is approved by the British Psychological Society for the purposes of Continuing Professional Development for healthcare professionals. It is an unfacilitated course designed for healthcare professionals with a role or interest in managing patients with low back pain (including nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and psychological therapists).
It will also be useful for students training to become healthcare professionals. The Certificate of Achievement for this course would be useful for providing evidence of CPD.
Who will you learn with?
Pippa is a physiotherapist and researcher at the University of Oxford, focusing on the management of musculoskeletal conditions which affect older people.
Esther is a physiotherapist and researcher at the University of Oxford. She is Deputy-Director of the Centre for Rehabilitation Research.
Beth Fordham is a health psychology researcher. Beth aims to use psychological theory and practice to improve quality of life in physical and mental health conditions.
Zara is a physiotherapist and a cognitive behavioural therapist. She integrates the two professions through her research, clinical, and teaching work.
Who developed the course?
University of Exeter
The University of Exeter is a Russell Group university. It combines world-class research with very high levels of student satisfaction.
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