The Pain Management Collaboratory Coordinating Center, a Yale-based research hub, has secured a funding extension to advance its work on non-drug pain management strategies. The six-year grant will allow the center to continue its pragmatic clinical trials focused on treating pain and related conditions in veterans and active-duty military personnel without relying on medication.
Addressing Chronic Pain with Non-Pharmacological Approaches
Established in 2017 with funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Departments of Defense, and Veterans Affairs, the Pain Management Collaboratory (PMC) has been instrumental in developing and testing nonpharmacological methods for pain management. The initial phase involved 11 large-scale, multi-site clinical trials examining approaches such as chiropractic care, mindfulness, physical therapy, and psychological interventions delivered in real-world clinical settings.
These trials target patients within veteran and military health systems, addressing acute, surgical, and chronic pain conditions, including low back pain. "The principal aim of the PMC is to close the gap between existing evidence of the effectiveness of these nonpharmacological approaches and their limited uptake in routine clinical care," said Robert D. Kerns, PhD, professor emeritus and senior research scientist of psychiatry.
Early Findings and Future Directions
As the originally funded research projects near completion, researchers are preparing to present their initial findings, lessons learned, and future research opportunities. Five additional projects are currently underway, expanding the scope of the collaboratory's investigations.
One such project, led by Alicia Heapy, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry, focuses on delivering cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic pain through a technology-based intervention called Cooperative Pain Education and Self-Management (COPES). "Through our PMC trial we learned that direct-to-patient outreach about the program created a ‘self-serve lane’ that enabled veterans to easily refer themselves to COPES and increased engagement in the program relative to relying on primary care provider referral alone," Heapy said.
Impact on Veteran and Military Healthcare
The PMC's work has significant implications for veteran and military healthcare. According to Kerns, over 11,000 veterans, military service members, and their dependents have participated in the studies. "These people were advantaged by their ability to have access (to care) and to become engaged in these state-of-the-art clinical trials," he said.
The ultimate goal is to extend these benefits beyond the VA sphere. With an estimated 20 million Americans affected by chronic pain, PMC researchers hope their findings can be integrated into care for all populations. "They are the target population," Kerns said, referring to veterans and military service members. "They are known to be a population that has higher rates of chronic pain and co-occurring disorders. Demonstrating effectiveness of these approaches in this population will encourage broader use in other settings."
