Preventive Interventions for Chronic Pain Worsening
- Conditions
- Chronic Non-Cancer Pain
- Interventions
- Device: Virtual Reality-based Pain Self-management programBehavioral: Online Mindfullness Based Stress Reduction Program
- Registration Number
- NCT06351046
- Lead Sponsor
- Rigshospitalet, Denmark
- Brief Summary
This is an open label randomized controlled trial (RCT), which will be conducted with patients of the Copenhagen Wound Healing Center at Bispebjerg Hospital in Copenhagen (DK). The trial has two arms (1:1): A Virtual Reality based Pain Self-management (VRPS) program group, and a control group (usual care). Included will be 44 patients at least 18 years old; fluent in the Danish language; complaint of pain lasting 3 months or more; in average pain intensity score ≥ 3 (numerical rating scale 0 to 10); access to internet; and willing and available to participate in the study. Excluded will be specialized or multidisciplinary pain treatment at baseline; history of epilepsy, seizure disorder, nausea or dizziness, hypersensitivity to flashing light or motion or other diseases that may prevent use of virtual reality equipment; injury to eyes, face or neck.
- Detailed Description
Considering the need of interventions to improve pain self-management to interrupt the "pain chronification" process and the indications regarding advantages of cognitive behavioral techniques and technologic resources, the purpose of this study is to test a homebased intervention connecting these areas. Here, the effects of a non-pharmacological technique delivered through a virtual reality-based pain self-management program will be tested in patients with non-cancer pain lasting three months or more. The intervention target primarily pain relief by providing pain regulating strategies.
The investigators will test the main hypothesis that participants assigned Virtual Reality-based Pain Self-management program (VRPS) present reduction of pain intensity among other outcomes at 2 months post-intervention as well as after 6-, 9-, and 12-months follow-up when compared to treatment as usual (control group).The primary aim is to investigate the effects of VRPS on worst pain intensity in the last 24h in patients with non-cancer pain lasting 3 months or more at 2 months post-intervention.The secondary aims are to analyze the effects of the intervention on other patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs), which are pain intensity at follow-ups, pain interference in daily activities, pain catastrophizing, pain acceptance, health-related quality of life, anxiety, depression, perceived change on over-all pain status, use of analgesic medication, and use of health care system among patients with non-cancer pain lasting 3 months or more.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- NOT_YET_RECRUITING
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 44
- At least 18 years old
- Fluent in the Danish language
- Complaint of pain lasting 3 months or more; in average pain intensity score ≥ 3 (numerical rating scale 0 to 10)
- Access to internet
- Willing and available to participate in the study.
- Specialized or multidisciplinary pain treatment at baseline
- History of epilepsy
- Seizure disorder
- History of nausea or dizziness
- Hypersensitivity to flashing light or motion or other diseases that may prevent use of virtual reality equipment.
- Injury to eyes, face or neck that impedes comfortable use of virtual reality equipment.
- Current cancer disease
- Medical diagnosis of depression
- Cognitive dysfunction that interferers with compliance to the study,
- Currently pregnant or planning to become pregnant during the study period
- No access to the internet during the study period.
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- FACTORIAL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description VRPS program Virtual Reality-based Pain Self-management program VRPS is based on four evidence-based principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy and pain neuroscience education. For this project we have selected relaxation, mindful escapes, pain distraction games, and dynamic breathing modules.The eight consecutive weeks program period of intervention is composed of one initial physical meeting with 1h duration to explain the basis/principles of the virtual tools offered, how the virtual appliance works and should be used, including safety recommendations as calm environment at home, sitting or lying position during use. Groups of maximum 13 patients will be organized. Patients will be instructed to use the equipment at least once a day and it can be used as many times as they wish per day aiming to reduce pain intensity or to avoid pain. Patients will also be asked to keep a diary to register the equipment use during the study period to secure the data. MBSR program Online Mindfullness Based Stress Reduction Program Participants will attend online group class/week for eight consecutive weeks. The MBSR will be based on the program adapted by the Multidisciplinary Pain Centre at Rigshospitalet (DK), which is tailored to patients with chronic pain. Each session has duration of 1.5 hours. Content is composed by meditation techniques and physical exercises, which focus on increasing awareness and acceptance of moment-to-moment experiences, including physical discomfort and difficult emotions.Two groups of 11-12 patients will be composed. However, individual meetings may be organized if the recruitment process shows difficulties to gather patients in groups. It will be delivered by a certified MBSR therapist and via Teams platform.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Pain intensity At baseline, 2 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months after intervention Pain intensity for worst pain in the last 24h: Brief Pain Inventory to measure pain intensity, from no pain (0) to worst pain ever (10)
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Pain catastrophizing At baseline, 2 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months after intervention Pain Catastrophizing Scale, using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (never) to 4 (always) to assess patterns of negative cognition and emotion in the context of actual or anticipated pain
Health status At baseline, 2 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months after intervention patient-generated outcome assessed by the Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile (MYMOP2), which measures effects from health care interventions on physical, emotional, or social symptoms/problems. It is problem-specific and includes general wellbeing
Use of medication At baseline, 2 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months after intervention Medication used (type and quantity) The information collected will refer to the period from patient inclusion to up one year follow-up.
Pain intensity and interference in daily activities At baseline, 2 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months after intervention Brief Pain Inventory to measure pain intensity from no pain (0) to worst pain ever (10) at follow-ups and interference on general activity, mood, walking ability, work, social relations, sleep, and enjoyment of life
Pain acceptance At baseline, 2 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months after intervention Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire to assess engagement in activity (despite pain), pain willingness, and total pain acceptance score, using a rating scale from 0 to 6. Never true (0) to always true (6)
Health related quality of life At baseline, 2 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months after intervention Physical functioning, role limitations due to physical health, role limitations due to emotional problems, energy/fatigue, emotional well-being, social functioning, pain, and general health using the RAND 36-Item Short Form Health Survey version 1.0. First, precoded numeric values are recoded per the scoring key. All items are scored so that a high score defines a more favorable health state. In addition, each item is scored on a 0 to 100 range so that the lowest and highest possible scores are 0 and 100, respectively.
Depression At baseline, 2 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months after intervention Patient Health Questionnaires scale (PHQ-9) can help track a patient's overall depression severity as well as track the improvement of specific symptoms with treatment. Measured on a rating scale,- from "not at all" (0) to "almost every day" (3)
Use of healthcare system At baseline, 2 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months after intervention The number of times that he/she used the health care system because of his chronic pain problem and treatment received (pharmacologic, surgical, rehabilitation, etc.). The information collected will refer to the period from patient inclusion to up one year follow-up.
Anxiety At baseline, 2 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months after intervention General Anxiety Disorder - 7 (GAD-7) is commonly used as a measure of general anxiety severity. Measured on a rating scale,- "from not at all" (0) to "almost every day" (3)
Number of absent days at work At baseline, 2 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months after intervention Number of absent days at work because of pain will be asked directly to the patients through the electronic forms. The information collected will refer to the period from patient inclusion to up one year follow-up.