Active clinical trials for "Chronic Pain"

Nocebo hyperalgesia is characterized by adverse pain outcomes, induced by patients' expectations. In the lab, nocebo effects are commonly studied via classical conditioning, a method that employs pairings of neutral cues/treatments with different pain intensities to install differential pain-related expectations. In such conditioning experiments, participants are typically taught that a (sham) treatment exaggerates their pain, by surreptitiously administering high intensity (e.g. pain) stimuli in combination with this treatment. Verbal suggestions are also often used to inform participants of the supposed adverse effects of such treatments. In nocebo studies, higher pain levels and suggestions that are of more threatening nature may induce fear, thereby adding a crucial element to the experimental manipulation. Since nocebo effects are hypothesized to arise in clinical settings due to a combination of several psychological and cognitive mechanisms, it is important to study the role that factors such as higher pain levels, conditioned pain-related fear, or more threatening verbal suggestions may play in the formation of nocebo hyperalgesia. To date, no studies have focused on the fear-inducing effect that different pain intensities or verbal threat suggestions may have and how this fear, in turn, may strengthen the acquisition of nocebo effects. This study aims to investigate whether higher pain intensity or higher pain-related fear induced via threatening suggestions facilitate the acquisition and hinder subsequent extinction of nocebo hyperalgesia. This study will be conducted at Leiden University.

The goal of this unique 18 month study is to better understand the experiences of pain patients in the Royal University Hospital (RUH) Emergency Department (ED), to create excellence in health care. The purpose is to measure the impact of visiting therapy dogs on reducing ED patient pain.

The goal of this study is to test the effects of oxytocin on heart rate variability and pupil diameter, both of which have subtle effects on the activity rate of the autonomic nervous system.

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate safety and efficacy of a new spinal cord stimulation paddle electrode which is able to target the dorsal horns, dorsal nerve roots, and dorsal columns. The research electrode ("Study Electrode") is designed to answer basic physiological clinical research questions. It may inform future device therapy development, but the Study Electrode is not a product that will be marketed or sold. The Investigators believe the protocol is a Non-Significant Risk study answering basic physiological research questions, which may be performed under hospital IRB approval.

This study aims to investigate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an enhanced opioid stewardship program, tailored to the needs of hospitalized patients with chronic pain with opioid dependence, incorporating real-time guidance from an addiction medicine and pain-trained physician/pharmacist team, using a pilot randomized clinical trial format. Findings from this research may improve pain management and decrease risk of opioid-related adverse events among patients with chronic pain.

This study is designed to evaluate the effect of two concentric electrode transcranial direct current stimulation over the primary motor cortex versus insular cortical targets in post mastectomy neuropathic pain.

Pain education has proven difficult to implement into clinical practice. In Denmark 4 out of 10 adults has inadequate health literacy levels. To avoid inequality in health care we need a new and accurate method to provide pain education to all who need it. In this study, existing concept of pain education is implemented into clinical practice for a group of chronic pain patients including those with low degrees of health literacy, and then evaluate its use from both patient and physiotherapist perspective.

The aim of this pre-market, prospective, single-arm, non-randomized, open-label, multi-center clinical study is to collect confirmatory data to show that the Gemini SCS neurostimulation system functions as intended in a clinical setting.

The purpose of this research study is to conduct a randomized clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of the web-based The-Optimal-Lymph-Flow ™ system for managing chronic pain and symptoms related to lymphedema focusing on primary outcomes of pain reduction, secondary outcomes of symptom relief, limb volume difference by infra-red perometer, body mass index, quality of life related to pain. Recruitment includes 120 patients who will be randomized according to pain/aching/soreness, and tenderness. Participants in the intervention group will be provided the web-based The-Optimal-Lymph-Flow ™ intervention and encourage to access and learn about the program during the 1-4 weeks of the study. Participants in the control group will receive the web-based arm precaution program. All the participants will have monthly online assessment of pain and symptoms at 4 and 8 weeks post-intervention as well as two in-person research visits, that is, prior to intervention and 12 weeks post-intervention.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect that the Brief Guided Imagery (BGI) technique has on fibromyalgia patients suffering from chronic pain in regards to their sense of pain, wellbeing and quality of life. This study will explore whether daily training of one to two minutes exercises in Brief Guided Imagery can reduce chronic pain and improve the quality of life of patients by studying specifically patients suffering from fibromyalgia. Chronic pain is a common condition which affects person's physical and mental health. It occurs in between 10% to 40% of the population, depending on the exact research and chosen sample. In 2010 Manchikant et al. found an effect chronic pain has on human functioning and quality of life. A research from 2007 defined chronic pain as pain that lasts more than three months. Being long lasting by its nature, chronic pain has an ongoing effect on deteriorating the quality of life. In this regards, quality of life is scientifically determined by five modes: i. Physical wellbeing. ii. Mental wellbeing. iii. Social wellbeing. iv. Emotional wellbeing, and v. sense of development and self-realization. Chronic pain damages daily ongoing functions and is also related to sleep disturbances, stress and unemployment. A direct correlation was also found between chronic pain and psycho-social . One of the many results of chronic pain is the huge impact on the economy, such as absence from work due to sick leaves. The overall cost of chronic pain was found to be one percent of the total expense on health. The frequency and impact of chronic pain is such that some professionals define it as an epidemic. In many cases, chronic pain occurs with patients suffering from a wide spectrum of medical disorders. In 2007 Tunks et al. demonstrated that chronic pain often accompanies an illness that involves also a psychological aspect. Both Baird et al. in 2004 and Menzies et al. in 2012 found a significant positive effect daily guided imagery exercises have on chronic pain. The study proposes to research the specific technique of Brief Guided Imagery on chronic pain, and will focus on patients suffering from fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a syndrome where a patient suffers from both chronic pain and a fatigue. The pain of fibromyalgia is characterized as abstract and non-localized, while the fatigue appears in a varying range of intensity. These symptoms are often accompanied by exhaustion, lack of energy, somatic disorders and psychologic symptoms such as depression. The ongoing pain, fatigue and depression cause fibromyalgia patients to further suffer from sleep disorders and diminishing ability to function. Menzies et al. studied in 2012 the effect of guided imagery exercises on the stress level, pain, fatigue and depression. The study also examined different physiologic blood markers (such as proteins, cytokines and C reactive. Menzies found a positive and significantly large improvement in the ability to control both stress and pain levels, and treat the depression of the participants. However, no significant changes were observed in the blood tests monitoring the levels of physiologic markers in the blood.