Active clinical trials for "Somatoform Disorders"

Virtual reality creates interactive, multimodal sensory stimuli that have demonstrated considerable success in reducing pain. Much research so far has focused on VR's ability to shift patients' attention away from pain; however, these methods provide only transient relief through means of distraction and therefore do not offer long-term analgesic remediation. An alternative and promising approach is to utilize VR as an embodied simulation technique, where virtual body illusions are employed as tools to improve body perception and produce potentially more enduring analgesia. Disturbances in body perception (i.e., alterations in the way the body is perceived) are increasingly acknowledged as a pertinent feature of chronic pain, and include aberrations in perceived shape, size, or color that differ from objective assessment. The degree of body perception distortion positively correlates with pain, and prior interventions have evinced that treatments aimed at reducing body perception distortions correspondingly ameliorate pain. Several recent experimental research studies have demonstrated the analgesic efficacy of body illusions in a range of pain conditions. Immersive VR multisensory feedback training signifies a promising new avenue for the potential treatment of chronic pain by supporting the design of targeted virtual environments to alter (distorted) body perceptions. Various illusions have been described to alter pain perception; however, they. Have not been directly compared to each other. The multimodal stimulus control of VR enables physical-to-virtual body transfer illusions, resulting in the feeling that the virtual body is one's own. These virtual body illusions can modulate body perception with ease and could therefore be used to alter the perceived properties of pain, consequently utilizing a virtual avatar to specifically shape interactive processing between central and peripheral mechanisms.

This randomized controlled pilot study will be evaluating an app, MORT-PFPS app (ETH-01K), owned by EverEx, Inc., to examine safety and effectiveness in individuals with patellofemoral pain syndrome.

Introduction: Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a common, costly and often persistent musculoskeletal problem. Radial shockwave (RSW) is one of the most common treatment for MFS. However, a recent systematic review found very low-level evidence to support its short-term benefit, due to poor methodological qualities. The authors therefore recommended further large scale, good quality placebo-controlled trials (RCT) in this area. Further still, previous studies have not considered the experiences of patient regarding this intervention. Study Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of RSW compared to placebo for the treatment of patients with MPS in neck and upper back, and to establish the experiences of patients receiving the treatment. Research Questions: Is RSW therapy more effective at improving MPS compared to a placebo? What are the experiences of patients with MPS receiving this treatment? Methods: A pragmatic double blind RCT to investigate the effectiveness of RSW on patients with MPS and a semi-structured-interview to investigate the patients' experience of receiving the treatment. Sample: 120 potential participants with MPS for the RCT and 20 participants for the semi-structured qualitative interview. Interventions: The Intervention group will receive a total of 6 sessions of RSW following manufacturer's parameters: 1.5 bar, pulses 2000, frequency 15 Hz (Time 3 minutes). The Control group will receive an identical treatment except that the they will receive a no energy shock of 0.3 bar, frequency 15 and no pulses. Outcome measures: Improvements in the patient's numeric pain scale (NPS), neck disability index (NDI), pressure pain threshold (PPT) and SF-12 questionnaires at 4, 8 and 12 weeks' follow-up between the two groups. Significance of the Study's Outcome: The expectation is that this study will add to the body of knowledge required to help patients, healthcare practitioners, policy makers and researchers make effective treatment choices on RSW in the management MFS.

This study will investigate the feasibility of using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and a sensorimotor training task to treat symptoms of pain in patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). rTMS is a non-invasive technique that involves delivering magnetic pulses in rapid succession over the area of the brain that controls movement. The sensorimotor training task involves non-invasive nerve stimulation used to cue a participant to complete motor actions. The purpose of this study is to determine whether recruitment is feasible in this patient population and patients maintain adherence to the intervention. In addition, the investigators want to determine whether rTMS combined with sensorimotor training is an effective intervention to alleviate symptoms of pain in patients with CRPS.

The aim of the current study is to assess the efficacy of TMS in the treatment of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). It is hypothesized that participants who receive TMS (Group 1) relative to sham treatment (Group 2) once daily for two days will demonstrate a greater improvement in CRPS-related pain and other associated symptomology (i.e., cognitive, emotional and physical) compared to baseline. Participants will be followed until they reach their baseline for two consecutive weeks to assess safety and duration of symptom alleviation.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) can significantly affect an individual's ability perform to functional activities, such as walking, running, climbing stairs, and sitting for prolonged periods. PFPS is often associated with pain and discomfort in the front of the knee, which can limit an individual's range of motion and cause difficulty with weight-bearing activities. The pain may also be exacerbated by activities that involve bending the knee, such as squatting or kneeling. Whole body vibration (WBV) has been suggested as a potential intervention for patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). Some studies have shown that WBV can improve muscle strength, balance, and proprioception, which are all factors that may contribute to PFPS. Additionally, WBV may help reduce pain and improve functional abilities in individuals with PFPS However, the evidence for the effectiveness of WBV as an intervention for PFPS is still limited, and more research is needed to fully understand its potential benefits and limitations. It is important to note that WBV may not be suitable for all individuals with PFPS.

The aim of the present study is to compare the effects of biopsychosocial and conventional approach on symptom severity, pain parameters (pain intensity and pain cognitions), disability, psychological distress and quality of life in patients who are suffering from bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis. The study is designed as a randomized clinical trial including two parallel arms. Individuals who meet the inclusion criteria and agree to participate will be randomly assigned into one of the two research arms: biopsychosocial approach group or conventional approach group. A biopsychosocial approach, which is a holistic approach that includes pain neuroscience education, relaxation training and cognitive exercises, will be applied to the patients in the first research arm for the treatment of chronic pain symptoms. For the patients in the second research arm, a conventional approach including pelvic floor stretching exercises and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) will be applied for the treatment of chronic pain complaints. Treatments will be lasted for a total of six weeks, with two sessions per week. Participants will be evaluated at the baseline (before treatments) and at the end of the 6th week (after treatments). In the evaluations, information about the demographic and physical characteristics, medical and surgical background, medications and lifestyle characteristics (water, tea, coffee, alcohol, cigarette consumption, the presence constipation and physical activity level) of the individuals will be recorded. For primary or secondary outcome measures, Interstitial Cystitis Symptom and Problem Index, Visual Analog Scale, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, 3-day voiding diary, Pain Disability Index, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Short Form-36 will be used. The present study is planned to be carried out with a total of 60 individuals, 30 for each study group based on a sample size analysis. After reaching required sample for the present study, in patients with bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis, the effects of biopsychosocial and conventional approach on symptom and problem severity, pain parameters, disability, psychological status and quality of life will be analyzed using (2*2) two-way ANOVA.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of an Augmented Reality (AR) biofeedback intervention to alleviate pain symptoms in individuals suffering from chronic pain of the hand and/or the forearm.

To investigate the effects of the two following interventions on somatoform patients:1. case management model2. psychotherapy, based on cognitive-behavioral therapy and biofeedback therapy

Knee pain is one of common pain-causing diseases and it affects patients' mobility which in turn seriously affects the quality of patients' life. The most common cause of knee pain results from the inflammation occurred at the patello-femoral joint of the anterior knee. It is now commonly recognized as Patello-femoral pain syndrome (PFPS). It is categorized as anterior knee pain. The exact pathogenesis of PFPS is still not clear but both Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Western Medicine (WM) have many treatment methods. Hence, it is important and meaningful to investigate the diagnosis and treatment in detail. Through reviewing the literature about PFPS, the investigators would like to achieve the following objectives in the study design. Under the principle of evidence-based medicine, the investigators compare the clinical effectiveness of TCM acupuncture and Tui-na manipulations treatment with the physiotherapy on the PFPS management. The study is to determine whether which are effective in improving knee function and lessening the pain in PFPS patients.