Introductory workshop: Cognitive Functional Therapy for people with persistent Low Back Pain

Cognitive Functional Therapy (CFT) is a person-centred physiotherapist-led cognitive and behavioural intervention, that guides people with persistent LBP to self-manage their condition. It is supported by a number of clinician trials including the RESTORE trial published in the LANCET.

This introductory workshop to CFT outlines the multi-dimensional nature of low back pain in people with persistent low back pain, key aspects of person-centred communication including guided behavioural examination techniques. A multi-dimensional clinical reasoning framework is used to provide individualized care to target the relevant biopsychosocial factors.

It will outline the key components of CFT: 1. making sense of pain, 2. exposure with control, and 3. life-style coaching. This workshop will follow the journey of CFT, through the experience of people with persistent low back pain.

The workshop will explore opportunities to develop knowledge and skills in CFT.

Presenter’s Bio:

Peter is a John Curtin Distinguished Professor at the School of Allied Health Sciences at Curtin University, and a practicing Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist at bodylogic.physio. With his team he has developed a person-centred approach for people disabling low back pain – called ‘cognitive functional therapy’. This treatment has demonstrated efficacy in numerous clinical trials, including a recent landmark trial published in The Lancet (restorebackpain.com). With his team he has published more than 370 scientific papers. With his team Peter has developed a social enterprise to support clinician training in cognitive functional therapy called evoolvepaincare.academy.

A Cognitive Functional Approach for the Management of Disabling LBP Disorders

Prof Peter O'Sullivan

Day 1:

Start & Finish Times (am/pm)	Topic or Element (include lunch and tea breaks)
8.30-10.15am	Making sense of disabling low back pain
MORNING TEA
10.30-12.00pm	Making sense of disabling low back pain
LUNCH
1.00-2.45pm	Person centred communication - Patient interview
AFTERNOON TEA
3.00-4.30 pm	Person centred physical examination

Day 2:

Start & Finish Times (am/pm)	Topic or Element (include lunch and tea breaks)
8.30-10.15am	Cognitive Functional Therapy management
MORNING TEA
10.30-12.00pm	Athlete with disabling low back pain – interview, examination, CFT management
LUNCH
1.00-2.45pm	Clinical reasoning, discussion – CFT progressions
AFTERNOON TEA
3.00-4.30 pm	Barriers to CFT Evidence of CFT efficacy – training