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Existential Genomics: Effects of Multimodal Rehabilitation and Integrative Care on Patients With Chronic Pain

Conditions
Chronic Pain
Interventions
Other: Anthroposophic integrative care rehabilitation program
Other: Conventional multi-modal care rehabilitation
Registration Number
NCT02459639
Lead Sponsor
The Integrative Care Science Center
Brief Summary

Using a comprehensive prospective clinical study design, the investigators intend to compare changes in health-related markers in patients with chronic widespread pain (CWP), undergoing one of two intervention "packages" of multimodal health care, namely anthroposophical integrative care (AIC) or standard care (SC), respectively. AIC combines evidence-based conventional care with complementary/alternative (CAM) treatments. As markers, the investigators will use indicators of drug utilization and sick leave, as well as constructs mirroring possible changes in psychological and existential factors and genomic stability (such as telomere length and telomerase levels).

Detailed Description

The purpose of this comprehensive prospective clinical study is to compare and contrast two different but well-established multimodal chronic widespread pain rehabilitation programmes, i.e. one at a conventional county council hospital (CC) and one involving integrative care at a private non-profit hospital (IC), in terms of changes in health-related outcomes, ranging from DNA stability to health economy, in patients with chronic pain. Notably, for the first time, differences can be seen and correlations made between CC and IC outcomes with relevance for clinical care development and implementation of multimodal interventions for people with chronic pain.

The overall aim of the present prospective clinical trial is to achieve a better understanding of the possible effects of, and useful measure for evaluating, two different multimodal treatment interventions for pain.

More specifically, the aims of this trial are to explore two different, but well-established multimodal pain rehabilitation programmes. The investigators will specifically investigate 1. If chronic pain impacts on patients' telomerase activity and telomere length over time; 2. If multimodal rehabilitation can be linked to positive changes in telomerase activity and telomere length after rehabilitation, and if these changes can be correlated to: Clinical diagnosis, pain characteristics (e.g. intensity, duration, frequency and spread of pain), co-morbidities (e.g. anxiety, depression and catastrophizing), time lost from work/sick-leave and self-rated health and stress, and; 3. If and how the two programmes and their treatment components differ in outcomes over time.

The project outcomes will be of great relevance for clinical rehabilitation development and the implementation of multimodal interventions for people with chronic pain. Given that the most significant demographic and clinical factors associated with pain help-seeking are increasing age, female gender, pain severity and disability, we will also address such issues including gender differences when relevant.

Specific work packages (WP): WP1 - Genomics (telomerase activity and telomere length); WP2 - Patient-reported outcomes ("existential" validated questionnaires regarding depression, anxiety, stress, quality of life, pain, mindfulness, spirituality/religiosity); WP3 - Health care experiences (interviews); WP4 - Registry data (drugs, health care, sick leave, return-to-work, morbidity, mortality); WP5 - The design of treatment programs; WP6 - Standardized and exploratory statistical analyses of differences and correlations between the collected data and the conventional and integrated care programs. WP7 - Implementation of the results problematized through the participation of representatives of the patient and care provider organizations.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
UNKNOWN
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
100
Inclusion Criteria
  • Pain patients with a primary diagnosis corresponding to ICD-10 M79, or long-term pain for a period of over 3 months in neck/shoulders and/or low back, or generalised pain,
  • fluency in Swedish and
  • allowing for co-morbidity/ multiple secondary diagnoses.
Exclusion Criteria
  • Psychotic illness,
  • schizophrenia,
  • bipolar disorder,
  • substance dependency problems, and
  • cancer.

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Anthroposophic integrative careAnthroposophic integrative care rehabilitation programInclusion criteria are: Pain patients with a primary diagnosis corresponding to ICD-10 M79, or long-term pain for a period of over 3 months in neck/shoulders and/or low back, or generalised pain, fluency in Swedish and allowing for co-morbidity/ multiple secondary diagnoses. The exclusion criteria are: psychotic illness, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, substance dependency problems, and cancer.
Multimodal pain rehabilitationConventional multi-modal care rehabilitationInclusion criteria are: Pain patients with a primary diagnosis corresponding to ICD-10 M79, or long-term pain for a period of over 3 months in neck/shoulders and/or low back, or generalised pain, fluency in Swedish and allowing for co-morbidity/ multiple secondary diagnoses. The exclusion criteria are: psychotic illness, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, substance dependency problems, and cancer.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Telomere length from blood sample leucocyte cellsbaseline, up to 6 weeks, 6 month-, and 1 year follow-up

telomere length from blood sample leucocyte cells

Telomerase activity from blood sample leucocyte cellsbaseline, up to 6 weeks, 6 month-, and 1 year follow-up

telomerase activity from blood sample leucocyte cells

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale: measuring level of anxiety and depressionbaseline, up to 6 weeks, 6 month-, and 1 year follow-up

self-rating scale for assessing anxiety and depression levels, numeric total score

WHO Quality of Life - Spiritual, Religious and Personal Beliefsbaseline, up to 6 weeks, 6 month-, and 1 year follow-up

a medium- length 37 question version of a self-rating scale for quality of life, spiritual, religious and personal beliefs, numeric total score

LDL-cholesterol levels in blood samplebaseline, up to 6 weeks, 6 month-, and 1 year follow-up

LDL-cholesterol levels in blood sample

Blood pressurebaseline, up to 6 weeks, 6 month-, and 1 year follow-up

Resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure

Cholesterol: Blood cholesterol levelsbaseline, up to 6 weeks, 6 month-, and 1 year follow-up

Blood cholesterol levels

C-Reactive Protein levels in blood samplebaseline, up to 6 weeks, 6 month-, and 1 year follow-up

C-Reactive Protein

Trigyceride levels in blood samplebaseline, up to 6 weeks, 6 month-, and 1 year follow-up

Triglyceride levels in blood sample

Body Mass Indexbaseline, up to 6 weeks, 6 month-, and 1 year follow-up

Body Mass Index calculated from weight and length

Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire - 8: measuring acceptance of chronic painbaseline, up to 6 weeks, 6 month-, and 1 year follow-up

8 question questionnaire assessing self-rated chronic pain acceptance, numerical total score

Hb - hemoglobin statusbaseline, up to 6 weeks, 6 month-, and 1 year follow-up

blood hemoglobin status

EuroQol 5 Dimensions: measuring health-related quality of lifebaseline, up to 6 weeks, 6 month-, and 1 year follow-up

salf-rating scale for health-related quality of life, numeric total score

Indicator Questions of Physical Activity: measuring level of physical activitybaseline, up to 6 weeks, 6 month-, and 1 year follow-up

Self-rated assessment of physical activity, three questions, numeric total score

Sick-leave databaseline, up to 6 weeks, 6 month-, and 1 year follow-up

register-based data on sick-leave, extent and time period

Glucose levels in blood samplebaseline, up to 6 weeks, 6 month-, and 1 year follow-up

Glucose levels in blood sample

HDL-cholesterol levels in blood samplebaseline, up to 6 weeks, 6 month-, and 1 year follow-up

HDL-cholesterol levels in blood sample

Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire: measuring level of mindfulnessbaseline, up to 6 weeks, 6 month-, and 1 year follow-up

29 questionnaire assessing self-rated mindfulness, numerical composite score

Use of prescription drugsbaseline, up to 6 weeks, 6 month-, and 1 year follow-up

register-based data on use of prescription drugs, dose and frequency

patient recordsup to 6 weeks and 1 year follow-up

treatment records on the treatment components obtained by patient, amount and frequency

sociodemographic questionnairebaseline, up to 6 weeks, 6 month-, and 1 year follow-up

baseline and follow-up sociodemographic questionnaire from NRS (Nationalle Registret över Smärtrehabilitering), numeric descriptive data

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