Acceptance and commitment therapy for prevention of chronic pain after total knee arthroplasty - Summary - MDSpire

Acceptance and commitment therapy for prevention of chronic pain after total knee arthroplasty

  • By

  • Emanuele Maria Giusti

  • Gianluca Castelnuovo

  • Chiara Manna

  • Giorgia Varallo

  • Roberto Cattivelli

  • Benito Vanni Petrachi

  • Marco Stramba-Badiale

  • Chiara A M Spatola

  • October 23, 2025

  • 0 min

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Objective:

To assess the preliminary outcomes of the NOPAIN treatment, an acceptance and commitment therapy-based intervention, in preventing chronic postsurgical pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and to evaluate predictors of moderate-to-severe pain at 3 months, including demographic and psychological factors.

Key Findings:
  • Pain intensity, knee pain, stiffness, and function improved significantly over time (P < .01), indicating a clinically relevant change.
  • Female sex and age were associated with lower odds of moderate-to-severe pain at 3 months.
  • Central sensitization, baseline pain intensity, rumination, and helplessness were associated with higher odds of moderate-to-severe pain.
Interpretation:

The NOPAIN treatment is feasible and can be integrated into standard rehabilitation care, potentially contributing to the prevention of chronic postsurgical pain.

Limitations:
  • Non-controlled trial limits generalizability and introduces potential biases.
  • Small sample size may affect the robustness of findings and statistical power.
  • Further studies needed to confirm results and refine the intervention, particularly focusing on diverse populations.
Conclusion:

The preliminary results suggest that ACT-based interventions like NOPAIN may help mitigate chronic pain following TKA, warranting further research to explore specific mechanisms and long-term effects.

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