• Diane M Flynn, Larisa A Burke, Jeffrey C Ransom, Honor M McQuinn, Alana D Steffen, Tyler J Snow, and Ardith Z Doorenbos.
• Physical Performance Service Line, Pain Management Division, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, DC 90431, USA.
• Mil Med. 2023 Nov 8; 188 (Suppl 6): 203320-33.

IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to determine if improvement in pain impact and functional performance following a functional restoration (FR) program was sustained up to 6 months posttreatment and to identify predictors of sustained improvement.Materials And MethodsSecondary analysis of data collected during randomized clinical trial. Study population included 108 US active duty service members who completed an FR program, as well as 3- and/or 6-month follow-up assessments. Primary outcome measure was the NIH Research Task Force (pain) impact score (PIS). Secondary outcome was a composite functional performance measure of treadmill, lifting, and carrying tolerances. Variables analyzed to determine their predictive value included demographics; treatment hours; measures of pain intensity, function, mood, sleep, social satisfaction, pain catastrophizing, kinesiophobia, self-efficacy, pain acceptance, patient activation, functional performance, and neuropathic pain.ResultsMean PIS and functional performance improved significantly immediately following FR, but after 6 months, only improvement in functional performance sustained. Responder analysis showed that 6 months after FR, 42% of participants reported improvement that exceeded the minimal clinically important difference in PIS or functional performance. Predictors of sustained PIS improvement included younger age, absence of neuropathic pain features, less self-rated disability, better baseline functional performance, and worse baseline PIS. Predictors of sustained functional performance improvement included more treatment hours, lower baseline pain catastrophizing, and lower baseline functional performance.ConclusionsThis study supports the investment of treatment time in FR to yield sustained clinically meaningful improvement, as observed in over 40% of this study's military participants. Pretreatment predictors of sustained response included lower pain catastrophizing and absence of neuropathic pain. Further research is needed to determine if treatments that improve pain catastrophizing and neuropathic pain will result in sustained improvement in pain impact and functional performance following FR program participation.Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2023. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

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