Efficacy of adding interoceptive exposure to intensive interdisciplinary treatment for adolescents with chronic pain: a randomized controlled trial
Flack F, Stahlschmidt L, Dobe M, et al. Pain. 2018 Jun 21. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001321. (Original) PMID: 29939961
This randomised controlled trial investigated whether interoceptive exposure (IE) therapy enhanced reductions in fear of pain, pain intensity, pain-related disability, school absence and emotional characteristics (anxiety and catastrophising). Overall, there was no difference between the treatment and control group (relaxation training) in any of these outcomes. However, patients with high fear of pain before treatment and those with abdominal pain showed greater decreases in their fear of pain (total and subscale score) following interoceptive exposure.