# “Transforming Pain”: Evaluation of a Multicomponent Workshop for the Treatment of Chronic Pain—A Quasi-Experimental Design with Control Group

## TL;DR

A workshop for chronic pain patients led to lasting improvements in pain, mood, and quality of life, with most participants reducing medication and adopting healthier habits.

## Contribution

Demonstrates the effectiveness of a multicomponent, peer-supported workshop in reducing chronic pain and improving well-being through non-pharmacological means.

## Key findings

- Participants in the intervention group showed significant reductions in pain intensity and analgesic use.
- Improvements in well-being, quality of life, and emotional health were sustained three months after the workshop.
- Most participants adopted healthier lifestyle habits and reported reduced medication intake.

## Abstract

What are the main findings?
Participants in the intervention group showed consistent and clinically relevant improvements across all outcomes compared with baseline: reductions in pain intensity and analgesic use, alongside increases in well-being, quality of life, perceived health, self-esteem, and resilience, as well as decreases in anxiety and depression.The core technique (mental analgesia) was associated with pain reduction in approximately three-quarters of participants, while around four-fifths reduced their medication intake, mainly by lowering the frequency of use or discontinuing certain drugs. Most participants also reported adopting healthier lifestyle habits.These benefits were sustained at medium-term follow-up, three months after completion of the workshop.

Participants in the intervention group showed consistent and clinically relevant improvements across all outcomes compared with baseline: reductions in pain intensity and analgesic use, alongside increases in well-being, quality of life, perceived health, self-esteem, and resilience, as well as decreases in anxiety and depression.

The core technique (mental analgesia) was associated with pain reduction in approximately three-quarters of participants, while around four-fifths reduced their medication intake, mainly by lowering the frequency of use or discontinuing certain drugs. Most participants also reported adopting healthier lifestyle habits.

These benefits were sustained at medium-term follow-up, three months after completion of the workshop.

What are the implications of the main findings?
Creating structured spaces where patients can share experiences with peers has therapeutic value, allowing individuals with different diagnoses but a common symptom, such as chronic pain, to connect, feel understood, and engage in mutual support.Assessing the combined use of the techniques, therapies, and tools applied in this program demonstrates their effectiveness in achieving the intended goal: transforming and alleviating pain by fostering active patient engagement in self-care, thereby improving quality of life and emotional well-being.

Creating structured spaces where patients can share experiences with peers has therapeutic value, allowing individuals with different diagnoses but a common symptom, such as chronic pain, to connect, feel understood, and engage in mutual support.

Assessing the combined use of the techniques, therapies, and tools applied in this program demonstrates their effectiveness in achieving the intended goal: transforming and alleviating pain by fostering active patient engagement in self-care, thereby improving quality of life and emotional well-being.

Background/Objectives: Between 20 and 30% of the global population experiences Chronic Pain (CP). A comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach incorporating non-pharmacological interventions and active patient participation is recommended. This study evaluated the short- and medium-term effectiveness of a multicomponent workshop compared with a control group. Methods: A detailed description of the workshop and a single-group before–after evaluation in 197 patients were recently published. The present study used a quasi-experimental before–after design with a three-month follow-up, comparing an intervention group (n = 64) with a contemporaneous control group that continued with usual care (n = 64). Validated scales were used to measure pain, well-being, quality of life (QoL), self-esteem, resilience, anxiety, and depression. Two ad hoc surveys assessed satisfaction and perceived impact on pain, medication use, habits, and mood. Results: A total of 128 patients participated (64 per group). The intervention group showed statistically significant improvements in all indicators at both short-term (end of workshop) and medium-term (three months) follow-up. Pain decreased by −1.3 (−3.0–0) [3 months: −1.0 (−3.0–−1.0)], anxiety by −3.0 (−5.0–−1.0) [3 months: −3.0 (−5.0–1.0)], and depression by −4.0 (−7.0–−2.0) [3 months: −3.0 (−6.0–0)]. Well-being increased by 3.0 (1.0–4.0) [3 months: 1.0 (0–4.0)]; QoL by 0.213 (0.072–0.388) [3 months: 0.185 (0.013–0.337)]; perceived health by 13.5 (0–30.0) [3 months: 10.0 (0–30.0)]; self-esteem by 4.5 (1.0–7.3) [3 months: 3.0 (−1.0–6.0)], and resilience by 1.0 (−1.0–5.0) [3 months: 1.0 (0.0–5.0)]. In the control group, resilience worsened (−1.0 [−5.0–1.0], p = 0.002) and depression increased (1.0 [−1.0–3.0], p = 0.037). Pain decreased in 47 participants (74.6%) at the end of the workshop [3 months: 34 (65.4%)]. Of 55 who used medication, 48 (81.4%) reduced their intake [3 months: 34; 68.0%]. Healthy habits improved in 58 (92.1%) [3 months: 40; 78.4%]. Mood improved: 26 (41.3%) described themselves as “cheerful” and 24 (38.1%) as “neutral” [3 months: 23; 44.2% and 14; 26.9%]. Overall satisfaction: 9.7 (scale 0–10). Conclusions: The workshop enabled patients to mitigate pain, actively participate in self-care, and improve quality of life, self-esteem, and emotional well-being. These effects persisted three months post-intervention.