Hancock, M., Smith, A., O’Sullivan, P., Schütze, R., Caneiro, J. P., Laird, R., O’Sullivan, K., Hartvigsen, J., Campbell, A., Wareham, D., Chang, R., & Kent, P. (2025). Cognitive functional therapy with or without movement sensor biofeedback versus usual care for chronic, disabling low back pain (RESTORE): 3-year follow-up of a randomised, controlled trial. Lancet Rheumatology. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2665-9913(25)00135-3

This long-term (3-year) follow-up of the RESTORE multisite clinical trial showed that cognitive functional therapy (CFT) is the first treatment for chronic disabling low back pain with good evidence of large, long-term (greater than 1 year) effects on disability. CFT offers a high-value, low-risk intervention with durable benefits for pain, disability and distress.

Slater H, Jordan JE, O’Sullivan PB, Schütze R, Goucke R, Chua J, et al. “Listen to me, learn from me”: a priority setting partnership for shaping interdisciplinary pain training to strengthen chronic pain care. Pain. 2022 Nov;163(11):e1145–63.
This paper explored the care-seeking priorities of people living with chronic pain and carers and how these can shape interdisciplinary workforce training to improve high-value pain care. The “listen to me, learn from me” framework of 44 empirically-derived pain care priorities reflected strong multistakeholder consensus for what is most important to Australian people living with chronic pain and those supporting them, when seeking pain care. This framework underpins the OPEN pain training, ensuring that our training efforts remain faithfully focused on supporting person-centred pain care.

Klem NR, Slater H, Chua JYY… Schütze, R, & Briggs, A. Lived and care experiences of young people with chronic musculoskeletal pain and mental health conditions: a systematic review with qualitative evidence synthesis. Pain. 2025;166(4):732–854.
This systematic review synthesised qualitative evidence on the lived experiences of young people with co-existing chronic musculoskeletal pain and mental health conditions. Key findings included themes of diagnostic uncertainty, fragmented care, and a lack of age-appropriate services. The review highlighted the need for integrated, person-centred approaches that address both physical and psychological aspects of care.

Simpson P, Holopainen R, Schütze R, O’Sullivan P, Smith A, Kent P. Becoming confidently competent: a qualitative investigation of training in cognitive functional therapy for persistent low back pain. Physiother Theory Pract. 2024;40(4):804–16.
This study examined physiotherapists’ experiences of participating in a training programme for cognitive functional therapy. The findings highlighted the transformative potential of immersive, reflective learning in fostering clinical competence and confidence. Peer support, mentorship, and opportunities for experiential learning were identified as key components of effective training.

Schütze, R., Rees, C. S., Smith, A. J., Slater, H., Campbell, J. M. J. M., & O’Sullivan, P. (2018). How can we best reduce pain catastrophizing in adults with chronic non-cancer pain? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Pain, 19(3), 233-256. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2017.09.010

This is the first systematic review to summarise the effect of any intervention on pain catastrophising, one of the strongest psychological predictors of pain outcomes. It showed that multimodal interventions that take a whole-person biopsychosocial approach have the strongest effects, but cognitive behaviour therapy has the most reliable evidence.