Why was this research done?

Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is a type of talking therapy that teaches a person how to manage their pain by thinking and behaving in a more positive way. CBT has been shown to reduce pain, disability, and distress in people with chronic pain. However, accessing psychologists who can provide CBT is a major challenge in some areas. By providing CBT online, the internet could expand the number of people who could benefit from this treatment.

The reviewers wanted to know if internet-delivered CBT reduces pain intensity and other pain-related outcomes in people with chronic pain compared to usual care/wait list/no treatment. They found moderate quality evidence that internet-based CBT reduces pain intensity by a small amount and that it is even better if the online modules include individual guidance from a psychologist. Concerns about this review include the different scores used to measure the outcomes across the studies, and how missing data was handled by the study authors when analyzing the results. It is important to note that this review did not compare internet-based CBT with CBT delivered face-to-face.