Active clinical trials for "Chronic Pain"

The study aims to examine the efficacy of a telehealth-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) + benzodiazepine taper (BZ-TP) program in facilitating reductions in benzodiazepine use among patients who are prescribed opioids for pain.

Small fiber neuropathy (SFN) is a condition that is dominated by invalidating neuropathic pain. Pharmacological neuropathic pain treatment is often disappointing, since pain reduction is mostly slight and side effects can be debilitating. Although neuropathic pain is caused by a lesion of the somatosensory system, also psychological factors, such as fear and catastrophizing, appear to play a role in the origin and maintenance of disability in chronic pain. Rehabilitation based on pain education and cognitive behavioral treatment including elements of acceptance and commitment therapy, exposure in vivo or graded activity can be performed to influence these factors. To date no specific rehabilitation programs are available for patients diagnosed with SFN.

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is an effective first-line, evidence-based treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Despite its well-demonstrated effectiveness, research has shown that approximately two-thirds of individuals continue to meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD even after successful treatment completion. Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) treatment, involving a local anesthesia injection to the stellate ganglion (around the lower base of the neck), has been shown to block its pain signal transmissions. Prior case studies and reviews have provided evidence for reducing PTSD symptoms with SGB treatment. However, studies to date have only examined SGB as a standalone intervention. The utility of combining CPT with concurrent SGB treatment remains unknown, although it is plausible that the combination of the two treatments can improve the effectiveness of CPT alone. The present study aims to test this hypothesis by comparing either a combined 1-week massed CPT + SGB treatment and 1-week massed CPT + placebo treatment (saline injection) using a randomized controlled trial design.

The patients will be randomly assigned to standard therapy or standard therapy+ESP nerve block. After surgery pain level and narcotic consumption will be measured, and vital signs and side effects will bo monitored for up to 72 hours. 6 months after surgery a phone interview will be conducted to asses chronic pain

This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate 1) the effects of high intensity training (HIT) compared to moderate intensity training (MIT) on diaphragm muscle strength, -endurance, -fatigue and -activation, 2) to which extent these changes in diaphragm functioning are related to changes in cardiorespiratory fitness, postural control, pain and disability after HIT versus MIT, 3) to which extent depressive mood and anxiety moderate the effects of HIT on diaphragm functioning in persons with chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNSLBP). The investigators hypothize that HIT improves diaphragm functioning more compared to MIT in persons with CNSLBP.

In the current clinical and scientific reality, conservative treatment is the most coherent clinical management with a view to the proper rehabilitation of patients with chronic neck pain, with a trend towards the use of therapeutic exercise. However, some uncertainty about the effectiveness of therapeutic exercises still remains, requiring further studies with high methodological rigor, especially with regard to multimodal treatment, such as the combination of therapeutic exercises with photobiomodulation. Thus, the objective of this project is to evaluate the effects of adding photobiomodulation to a program of specific therapeutic exercises for the treatment of individuals with chronic non-specific neck pain. To this end, 60 participants will be randomized into three groups: therapeutic exercise group + photobiomodulation (n = 20), and therapeutic exercise group. There will be 8 treatment sessions and participants will be evaluated before, after the 8 sessions, and 4 weeks after the end of treatment using the Numerical Pain Scale, Neck Disability Index, Catastrophic Thoughts about Pain Scale, and Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale. In the statistical analysis, a linear mixed model will be applied, considering the interaction between the time and group factors. Finally, the addition of photobiomodulation to a therapeutic exercise program is expected to generate clinical improvements for patients with chronic neck pain.

The investigators plan to develop and pilot test an integrated, web-based cognitive behavioral approach and then conduct a randomized clinical trial evaluating its efficacy relative to standard care in a large and diverse sample of individuals with chronic pain treated with buprenorphine or methadone. The new program will retain key components of Dr. Carroll's computer-based training for cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT4CBT), including its emphasis on teaching cognitive and behavioral coping skills in an engaging way and focus on the 5 A's of MAT (Adherence, Attendance, Abstinence, Alternate Activities and Accessing support); it will add components from Dr. Heapy's COPES (Cooperative Pain Education and Self-Management) intervention (self-management of chronic pain, with daily surveys via text that monitor pain intensity and interference, physical activity, and skills practice) and modify existing CBT4CBT modules to address the complex interplay between pain and drug use in this population, emphasizing the development of generalizable skills. A randomized clinical trial evaluating CBT4CBT-COPES will be conducted in a diverse sample 160 of individuals enrolled in agonist treatment (methadone or buprenorphine) who have chronic pain, in a 3-month randomized clinical trial with a 6-month follow-up, comparing it to standard treatment alone. The primary retention outcome will be adherence with agonist treatment; the primary pain outcome will be the PROMIS 6-item Pain Interference Short Form.

Background: There are over 500,000 survivors of childhood cancer in North America alone. One in four survivors experiences chronic pain after treatment has completed. Youth with chronic pain report increased anxiety, depression, activity limitations, and sleep disturbances. An 8-week web-based cognitive-behavioral treatment for chronic pain (WebMAP) has demonstrated reduction in the pain in children but has not yet been explored in survivors. The objectives of the current study are to (1) test the feasibility and acceptability of WebMAP for a sample of survivors with chronic pain and their parents, (2) assess the acceptability of WebMAP using qualitative interviews, (3) assess WebMAP's effect on activity limitations, pain intensity, depression and anxiety symptoms, and sleep disturbances, and (4) assess WebMAP's effect on parent pain catastrophizing and parental response to their child's pain. Methods: A single-arm mixed-methods pre-post intervention study design will be utilized. Participants will be 34 survivors and at least one of their parents/caregivers. Inclusion criteria are (1) cancer history (2) current age 11-17 years, (3) >2 years post-treatment or >5 years post-diagnosis, (4) pain present over prior 3 months impairing >1 area of daily life and occurring >1/month , (5) computer access with broadband internet. Survivors will complete a pre-treatment questionnaire, which will include: Child Activity Limitations Interview, the pain intensity Numerical Rating Scale, PROMIS - and Pain Interference, Anxiety, Depression, and Adolescent Sleep Wake Scale. Parents will complete the Pain Catastrophizing Scale - Parent Version and the Adult Responses to Child Symptoms. Upon completion of pre-treatment questionnaires (T0), survivors will begin WebMAP. After the 8 week intervention, survivors will complete the same measures (T1), and at 3 month follow-up (T2). Post-treatment interviews will be conducted to determine acceptability. Feasibility will be assessed via recruitment and retention rates. Treatment engagement will be measured by number of modules completed. Pre-post outcome data will be assessed using Linear Mixed Models. Qualitative data will be analyzed using thematic analysis. Patient and caregiver partners will be involved in study design, recruitment, interpretation of results, and knowledge translation. Discussion: Investigating whether WebMAP is useful to survivors will be an important step in improving pain management in this population.

The Veteran population has been known to deal with co-morbid chronic pain and PTSD. As a result, they use healthcare services at a higher rate than those Veterans with pain or PTSD alone which leads to an amplified burden on healthcare systems. tDCS is a painless brain stimulation treatment that uses direct electrical currents (at a constant, low-intensity level) to stimulate specific parts of the brain and help modulate neuronal activity. This study hypothesizes that our short-term therapy-focused treatment program coupled with tDCS administrations will aid in the reduction of chronic pain and PTSD symptoms. Secondly, the investigators intend to examine any relationships between BDNF reduction in reported pain and PTSD and related mental health symptoms. Subjects will be identified from the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program (EHVP-IOP) Veterans and Service members seeking psychiatric treatment for mental health issues including PTSD.

Investigators will test a novel protocol for starting BUP (buprenorphine-naloxone) treatment. The BUP microdose induction protocol has participants start very low doses of BUP without stopping other opioids that they are taking. The treatment as usual (TAU) has participants stop other opioids and experience opioid withdrawal before starting BUP. Investigators propose to test BUP microdose inductions vs. TAU in a randomized controlled trial.