If cognitive functional therapy hasn't been on your radar, it's likely only a matter of time. There's an increasing number of trials studying the effects of cognitive functional therapy. In a network meta-analysis published in January 2026 in JOSPT, the authors found that cognitive functional therapy topped a list of 27 different interventions for reducing disability in people with chronic non-specific low back pain.

Today, Dr Ruth Chang (Curtin University, Australia) and Dr JP Caneiro (Curtin University; Evoolve Pain Care Academy) explain how cognitive functional therapy works and how to incorporate it into your practice.

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RESOURCES

RESTORE trial: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37146623/

Patterns of change in forward bending, and pain self-efficacy during CFT: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2025.13114

Relationship between forward bending and improvement in pain and disability during CFT: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2024.12727

Network meta-analysis of tailored exercise therapies with or without psychological interventions: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2025.13281