Abstract
This study describes the most common and effective cognitive strategies that are used by OTR/Ls to address chronic pain. Additionally, this study represents the reason that OTR/Ls may not use cognitive strategies in treating chronic pain.
Primary Author and Speaker: Naghmeh Gheidi
Additional Authors and Speakers: Brandon McCauley
Contributing Authors: Miranda Gajewski, Cody Cline, Olivia Griesbach, Maimee Vang, Rylee Petit, Breana Haag
1 in 5 Americans experience chronic pain (CP) that limits their quality of life (Yong et al., 2022). Clinical guidelines recommend non-narcotic interventions and comprehensive integrative pain management for CP. The rule of Occupational therapists (OTs) in addressing CP using multidisciplinary and whole-person care is critical (Reeves et al., 2022). Cognitive strategies (CSs) have been shown to be effective to manage CP (Berglund et al., 2018; Burns et al., 2022). However, there is limited knowledge about the effectiveness and commonly used CSs by current OTs. This descriptive qualitative study describes the most common and effective CSs that are used by OTR/Ls to address CP. An online anonymous Qualtrics survey with 16 questions were sent to OTs via EXXAT, a platform for health science programs. Demographics collected included genders (male, female), education level (less than 10 years, 11-20 years, and more than 20 years), years of practice as an OTR/L (Bachelor, master, and doctorate), and practice setting. To determine the use of CSs in CP treatment, OTR/Ls were required to indicate if they use CSs, the reasons they do not use CSs, and rated the effectiveness of their top three strategies. Descriptive statistics were used to show the frequencies of responses in each question. The Chi-square test (α=.05) was used to compare the responses between genders, education level, and years of practice as an OTR/L. IBM SPSS (version 28) was utilized for statistical analysis. 48.9% of respondents reported the use of CSs to treat CP. 54.2% of respondents reported not using CSs due to perception of needing to be certified to implement it. Pain Education was the most popular (27.9%) and was rated as the first most effective intervention (10.11%). No differences were found between genders, practicing time, and education level. OTR/L’s current perception of the requirements needed prior to implementing CSs reduces their likelihood to use them in practice.
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