Non-specific Mechanisms in Orthodox and CAM management of back pain (MOCAM)

Lead applicant: Felicity Bishop.
Host organisation: University of Southampton
Co-applicants: George Lewith, Lucy Yardley, Janine Leach, Lisa Roberts, Hugh MacPherson, Borislav Dimitrov
Funding: Arthritis Research UK (no. 20552), £124,988

SUMMARY
Components other than the active ingredients of treatment can have substantial effects on pain and disability.  There are five domains of "non-specific" components: the therapeutic relationship, the healthcare environment, superficial treatment characteristics, patients' beliefs, and practitioners' beliefs. Complementary and alternative medicines like acupuncture have particularly powerful non-specific components. However, existing evidence is based primarily on studies of single components, in single treatments, in isolation from pain theories. This project investigates multiple non-specific components in three treatments and relates them to pain theories. 

Key publication

Bradbury K, Al-Abbadey M, Carnes D, Dimitrov BD, Eardley S, Fawkes C, Foster J, Greville-Harris M, Harvey JM, Leach J, Lewith G, MacPherson H, Roberts L, Parry L, Yardley L, Bishop FL. Non-specific mechanisms in orthodox and CAM management of low back pain (MOCAM): theoretical framework and protocol for a prospective cohort study. BMJ Open. 2016 May 27;6(5):e012209. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-012209.[Open Access]
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