Virtual Empowered Relief for People With Chronic Pain Who Take Methadone or Buprenorphine

Some patients with chronic pain are on long-term opioid therapy. Methadone and buprenorphine are often used in long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain. Additionally, chronic pain is highly prevalent in people receiving methadone or buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (MOUD). It is observed that up to 68% of people with MOUD have chronic pain condition. Therefore, a large number of people taking methadone or buprenorphine will suffer from chronic pain, but they frequently face limited availability of clinicians offering non-pharmacological pain management programs. Thus, a brief internet-based pain relief skills program may be one option that can overcome such treatment barrier. A recent randomized control trial on patients with chronic low back pain has demonstrated that a single-session, 2-hour, pain management class (Empowered Relief; ER) was effective to improve pain and pain-related distress. The ER class consists of pain neuroscience education and self-regulatory skills. While the ER is a promising and scalable option, it is not yet tested in patients with chronic pain who take methadone or buprenorphine. The current proposed, single-arm, uncontrolled pilot project will determine a) a feasibility in this patient population, b) patients' perceptions and satisfaction of the ER class and c) preliminary efficacy to inform the design of a future, larger, controlled trial.