Musculoskeletal Pain

This study aims to develop a holistic, multidisciplinary health monitoring/screening module that evaluates the health and performance parameters of esports players, and to apply and assess the effectiveness of an individualized multidisciplinary preventive intervention program (PIP) based on the screening findings. Esports players are frequently exposed to prolonged sitting, repetitive movements, high screen time, and irregular lifestyle habits, which can lead to musculoskeletal problems, visual strain, increased cardiovascular load, sleep disturbances, and psychological effects. Comprehensive, systematic, and multidisciplinary screening models addressing these risks remain limited in the literature. Amateur and/or professional players from the Yeditepe University Esports Club will undergo a multidimensional baseline assessment covering cardiovascular and respiratory parameters, musculoskeletal analysis, visual strain, nutritional status, cognitive function, and mental status. Participants will then be allocated to a control group or an intervention group. The intervention group will complete a 12-week individualized preventive exercise protocol in addition to their usual training, while the control group continues their usual training routine. All measurements will be repeated after 12 weeks to evaluate the effectiveness of the program.

Neck and/or shoulder pain is increasingly reported among school-aged children and may affect their physical activity, daily life, psychological well-being, and quality of life. This study aims to evaluate the effects of a school-based physical activity and education intervention on neck and/or shoulder pain and related health outcomes among primary school children in Shijiazhuang, China. Participants will be primary school children aged 10 to 12 years. They will be allocated to one of four groups: a physical activity group, an education group, a combined physical activity and education group, or a control group. The intervention will last for six weeks. The physical activity intervention will include structured game-based activities and neck-shoulder exercises, while the education intervention will include health education related to posture, screen use, physical activity, and pain prevention. The study will assess changes in neck and/or shoulder pain, pain intensity, physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep quality, psychological factors, quality of life, and physical activity enjoyment before and after the intervention.

Chronic pain is a common condition that can affect sleep, daily functioning, and overall quality of life. Many individuals living with chronic pain seek non-medication approaches to help manage their symptoms. Weighted blankets are commonly used to promote relaxation and comfort during sleep, but there is limited research examining their potential role in supporting people with chronic pain. This pilot study will explore the experiences of adults with chronic pain who use a weighted blanket during sleep. The study aims to better understand whether nightly use of a weighted blanket may be associated with changes in pain, sleep, and daily functioning. Findings from this study will help inform future research on non-medication approaches to managing chronic pain. Approximately 44 adults with chronic pain will participate in the study. Participation will last about five weeks. After completing a virtual enrollment visit and baseline questionnaires, participants will receive a weighted blanket sized to approximately 10 percent of their body weight. Participants will first complete a 7-day adjustment period using the blanket while sleeping. If they tolerate the blanket and use it nightly during this period, they will continue into a 4-week study phase in which they will use the weighted blanket each night. During the study, participants will complete brief online surveys about their experiences and adherence to using the blanket. Pain and quality-of-life questionnaires will be completed at multiple time points, including at the start and end of the study. Participants will also provide feedback about their experience using the weighted blanket. Results from this pilot study will help researchers better understand how weighted blankets may be used by adults with chronic pain and may help guide the design of future studies evaluating non-pharmacologic approaches to pain management.

This study is a cross-sectional research designed to investigate symptom severity, posture, musculoskeletal pain, and physical activity levels in individuals with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain, which includes spinal pain, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia, is a common and costly problem for older adults and is associated with decreased quality of life. In this project, investigators propose to create Reclaim Your Day (RYD), which will consist of 6, 30-min weekly video episodes highlighting patients' inspiring and illustrative experiences living with chronic pain in order to teach current patients with chronic MSK pain how to apply ACT's evidence-based strategies. INvestigators will conduct a pilot RCT (n=100) of older adults with chronic MSK pain. All participants will receive an introductory pain education video. Participants will be randomized to receive either RYD or a comparison intervention (health education videos). Investigators will examine RYD feasibility and acceptability as well as changes over time in outcomes (pain interference, depression, quality of life) and putative mediators.

This project is part of the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) initiative (https://heal.nih.gov/). This randomized controlled trial (RCT) is phase 2 of a two-phase, 5-year project with the overarching goal of testing a decision aid (DA)/coaching intervention, tailored to Black patients with comorbid chronic pain and depression, to encourage use of and adherence to nonpharmacological pain treatments (NPTs). This 2-arm trial will randomize 304 patients with comorbid chronic musculoskeletal pain and depression in primary care from an urban safety-net health system (Eskenazi). After the baseline assessment, patients randomized to the intervention will be asked to participate in 4 coaching sessions over approximately 12 weeks. Sessions will use Motivational Interviewing principles to foster openness to NPTs and self-efficacy by helping patients identify their goals and priorities, understand their NPT options, prepare them to discuss and choose options with their primary care providers (PCPs), and reinforce these choices to foster maintenance of these changes. DA contents will be integrated into these sessions, which will facilitate discussion of these options with their PCP. The first 3 sessions take place prior to the patient's next scheduled PCP visit; the final session occurs after this visit. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, 3 months (i.e., after completing the final coaching session), and 6 months. Patients randomized to the wait-list control group will receive usual care (in addition to study assessments at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months). After completing the final assessment, they will then be given the DA and offered a 20-minute coaching session to walk them through it.

The goal of this basic science study is to learn about the brain mechanisms of chronic pain across different chronic pain syndromes in pediatric patients. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Are there shared and distinct brain systems engaged by different forms of pediatric chronic pain? * What are predictors of recovery from chronic pain? * What brain systems are associated with the spread of pain? For this study participants will undergo: * Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) * Quantitative Sensory Testing * Psychological Assessments

This study is testing a new program called Empowered Relief for Caregivers (ER-CY), designed to support caregivers of children and teens who live with chronic pain. ER-CY is a single two-hour class delivered online. It teaches skills for managing the stress of caring for a child in pain and for responding to a child's pain in helpful ways. Up to 80 caregivers of youth with chronic pain will take part in one ER-CY class and then complete surveys and a short interview over the following three months. The researchers want to learn two things: whether caregivers are willing and able to take part and find the program helpful and satisfying, and whether the program lowers caregiver distress and improves their child's day-to-day functioning. What is learned will help guide future programs and care for youth with chronic pain and their families.

The objectives of this VA Merit application are to demonstrate efficacy of combined intermittent theta burst (iTBS) and yoga (iTBS+yoga) intervention on improving pain, function, analgesic use, self-efficacy, quality of life and well-being among Veterans with chronic low back pain (CLBP). This Merit project will directly benefit Veterans and VA Services by demonstrating efficacy of a new, non-medication treatment for Veterans with CLBP in need of non-opioid treatment options. Neuromodulation including iTBS is now offered at over 50 VA hospitals and yoga is among the complementary and integrative health programs being rolled out as a part of VAs Whole Health implementation efforts. Thus, should iTBS+yoga ultimately prove to be efficacious, VA facilities will be well-poised to offer this treatment. A novel, activity-based, non-medication treatment for Veterans with CLBP is of great need given the high prevalence of CLBP.

The cross-cultural adaptation will be performed according to the internationally recommended methodology, using the following guidelines: translation, back-translation; revision by a committee, questionnaire diffusion and data collection and analyzing. The psychometric properties will be evaluated by administering the questionnaire to approximately 300 participants. Reliability will be estimated through stability and homogeneity assessment

Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP), while a leading cause of physical disablement, is a neglected national health disparity issue in Black communities. The purpose of this study is to test a novel culturally congruent pain self-management intervention. A total of 120 persons aged 50-92, self-identifying as Black or African American having CMP will be invited to participate in this study. The primary outcome measured throughout this 3-year study is movement-evoked pain (MEP).

The goal of this study is to improve pain care in the MHS by identifying effective, whole-person, non-pharmacologic interventions for persons with chronic musculoskeletal pain. The investigators will evaluate two promising, evidence-based holistic health interventions and compare them to usual care.

The purpose of the study is to discover at least two distinct Musculoskeletal pain subtypes. These types are caused by different brain-and-immune system signals that affect how the body feels pain, and they are also shaped by a person's biology, psychology, and social environment. Aim 1. We want to sort adolescents and young adults with long lasting muscle and bone pain into two different groups. To do this, we will look at participants' childhood medical histories, past treatments, when their pain started, the sex they were assigned at birth, what their pain feels like now, tests of how their body senses pain, and immune system markers found in their blood. We think we will find at least two different types of chronic pain groups, plus one group of patients who had a higher risk for pain (because of a rheumatic disease or past surgery) but never developed long term pain. Aim 2. We want to find out if certain patterns of inflammation in the body change how nerve cells react to pain. Aim 3: We want to understand how different biological, psychological, and social factors are connected to the chronic pain groups we identified. We think we will find certain mental, behavioral, and social risks-as well as protective factors-that help explain why some people develop long-lasting pain and others do not. We expect these factors to play different roles in each pain group, including the group that does not develop chronic pain.

Migraine is a common neurological disease causing significant disability worldwide, with an estimated global prevalence of 14.4%. It represents a significant individual and societal burden, particularly for working-age individuals, as it can significantly impact work performance, productivity, and daily living activities. Migraine is not merely a headache; it is characterized by increased excitability of neurons in the central nervous system, leading to hypersensitivity to pain. Central sensory mechanisms are thought to play a role in the pathophysiology and chronicity of migraine, causing increased pain sensitivity, allodynia, and potentially related to musculoskeletal pain. Furthermore, psychosocial factors and work stress have been identified as significant factors associated with both headaches and musculoskeletal pain. Literature indicates that neck pain is common in individuals with migraine headaches; in fact, neck pain is twice as frequent in patients with chronic migraine headaches compared to those with episodic migraine. While evidence regarding back pain is limited, it has been shown that individuals with chronic headaches report back pain more frequently. In modern work environments, sedentary work and prolonged computer use are increasing. Prolonged sitting, improper ergonomics, and repetitive movements are considered significant risk factors for musculoskeletal problems. This can lead to pain and functional limitations, particularly in the neck, shoulders, and back. Although there has been an increase in working from home, especially after the pandemic, the time spent at a desk is still similar to that spent in the workplace. It is stated that static muscle activity and improper postures maintained during prolonged computer use can lead to increased strain on cervical and upper extremity muscles, exacerbating musculoskeletal symptoms. Literature reports that headaches and neck pain are common among individuals who work at desks; for example, a study of office workers reported that approximately 80% of individuals with headaches also experienced neck pain. Furthermore, high workload, time pressure, and psychosocial stress factors have been shown to be associated with both headaches and musculoskeletal pain in individuals who work at desks. Therefore, desk-based work conditions are considered a significant environmental factor that may play a role in the onset or exacerbation of migraine and musculoskeletal symptoms. Despite this, studies examining musculoskeletal symptoms, central sensitivity, and work stress together in desk-bound migraine patients are limited in the literature. Most studies have only examined individuals with headaches or evaluated musculoskeletal findings in limited areas. Therefore, studies comparing desk-bound migraine patients with non-migraine-bound desk-bound individuals could fill a significant gap in the literature. In this context, it is believed that the planned study will contribute to a better understanding of the possible relationships between migraine and musculoskeletal symptoms, help develop protective and rehabilitative approaches to the work environment, and benefit individuals exposed to musculoskeletal risks in desk-bound work, within the scope of Sustainable Development Goals 3: ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. The aim of this study is to compare central sensitization, work-related stress levels, and musculoskeletal symptoms in desk-based workers according to the presence of migraine and to examine the relationships among these variables.

The goal of this study will be to understand the biological mechanisms that are responsible to light-driven analgesia. Light presented to the retina has been shown to have pain relieving properties in pre-clinical and clinical studies. In this study the investigators will evaluate the functional connectivity between subcortical visual areas and non-image forming brain areas that are involved in pain sensation. The investigators will also evaluate how three colored light stimuli presented to the retina results in changes in whole brain evoked activation patterns in participants with chronic musculoskeletal pain and in healthy controls. The investigators will also assess while brain evoked activation patterns in response to a pressure pain stimulus in the presence of three light stimuli in individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain and healthy controls.

This randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial will evaluate the safety and efficacy of a 30-day home-based transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) intervention in adults with cerebral palsy (CP) and chronic musculoskeletal pain. Participants will be randomized to receive either active taVNS targeting the auricular branch of the vagus nerve or sham stimulation delivered to the earlobe. The primary outcomes are changes in musculoskeletal pain severity and pain interference, as well as safety assessed through treatment-emergent adverse events. Exploratory outcomes include health-related quality of life, depression, fatigue, spasticity, systemic inflammatory biomarkers, and blinding success.

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine the clinical effectiveness of lifestyle medicine in reducing chronic musculoskeletal pain in older adults, as measured by pain intensity, pain interference, self-management efficacy, stress level, sleep quality, healthier diet, better quality of life, and cost-effectiveness, compared to a waitlist control group. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or the waitlist group. The intervention group will meet the health coach face-to-face for four sessions to negotiate and set personalized health goals. The waitlist control group will continue to receive usual care without any additional intervention for 24 weeks. Both groups will complete three assessments: at the start of the study, one month after the intervention, and three months after the intervention. The waitlist control group will be offered the same intervention after completing the study.

This research study aims to investigate whether art and integrative medicine, within a unique setting like a university museum, can offer a new approach to help women suffering from fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition causing widespread pain and other symptoms such as fatigue and sleep disturbances. The question this study seeks to answer is: Is an 8-week rehabilitation program, based on mindfulness and body awareness techniques, conducted at the University Museum of the G. d'Annunzio University, effective in reducing pain and improving the quality of life (physical and mental well-being) and coping abilities in female fibromyalgia patients? Participants will be randomly assigned to either receive this program in the museum or to a control group.

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a biophotonic cosmetic massage cream in reducing musculoskeletal foot pain in adults. Participants with pain in one or both feet attending the Podiatry Clinical Area of the University of Seville will be randomly assigned to receive either the investigational cream or a placebo cream with similar characteristics. The assigned product will be applied topically to the painful area twice daily for 10 consecutive days. Pain intensity, pressure pain threshold, foot function, and health-related quality of life will be assessed during the study.

This single-site study of self-hypnosis software using an off-the-shelf virtual reality (VR) device (OculusGo™) to determine the software's safety, usability, and preliminary efficacy in pain relief for HIV-associated chronic pain patients. This is funded under the i Prism Funding through Mount Sinai Innovations.

The goal of this observational intervention study is to evaluate the impact of a multidisciplinary active coping program for chronic back pain in adults referred from Primary Care to the Physiotherapy Unit of Teruel Ensanche. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does the program improve physical function, measured through gait speed, balance, and chair stand tests? * Does it reduce pain-related psychological factors such as kinesiophobia, catastrophizing, anxiety, and depression? * Does it improve quality of life and sleep quality, and reduce analgesic medication use? Participants will attend group sessions on pain neuroscience education, followed by sessions on healthy habits, nutrition and sleep hygiene and group psychological intervention focused on emotional wellbeing tools, and will complete therapeutic exercise sessions over the course of the program. They will also complete validated questionnaires and physical assessments at three timepoints: at baseline, at the end of the program, and at a 6-month follow-up.

Half of all Veterans who seek care from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) experience chronic musculoskeletal pain. First-line treatment for chronic pain should include nonpharmacological interventions. Although Veterans have access to these interventions, there is no standardized process to personalize them to meet the needs of individual Veterans despite the fact that personalization and self-care are key components of the VHA's Stepped Care Model for pain management. This proposal seeks to adapt and evaluate a coaching intervention that will be a personalized approach to help Veterans develop and maintain pain self-care plans. The proposed research responds to VHA's strategic objectives to tailor service delivery (obj. 2.2) and develop or adapt interventions that improve Veteran outcomes (obj. 2.4).

This multicenter pilot study evaluates the feasibility, implementation fidelity, and preliminary effects of the GAP-421 (Personalized Care Management) model for chronic pain management in primary care physiotherapy. The GAP model is a time-limited organizational modality that reconfigures schedules, resources, and professional roles during a defined 6-week window to organize care around the individual patient and their trajectory, formalizing coordination work that previously occurred informally. The study uses a convergent mixed-methods design across three primary care health centers in the Southeast Healthcare District (DASE) of the Community of Madrid, Spain. The quantitative component is a prospective multicenter pre-post case series with 3-month follow-up (n=66 patients, 22 per center). The qualitative component includes semi-structured interviews (n=12) and focus groups (3 groups, n=6 each). Integration occurs through Joint Display, Pillar Integration Process, and a 9-type legitimation framework. The primary outcome is patient-perceived care coordination measured on a 0-10 numerical scale (PREM). Secondary outcomes span five domains: patient-reported outcomes (EQ-5D-5L, Graded Chronic Pain Scale, pain intensity), professional outcomes (coordination burden, role clarity), system sustainability (avoidable re-consultations, emergency department use), implementation fidelity, and feasibility indicators. Results will generate feasibility parameters, intraclass correlation coefficient estimates, and process indicators essential for designing definitive cluster-randomized trials testing organizational interventions in primary care physiotherapy.

About one in three Veterans lives with long-term (chronic) pain, and many of them also struggle with past trauma and mental health issues like depression, anxiety, or PTSD. Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET) is a type of talk therapy that helps people understand and express their emotions, especially those linked to past trauma. This therapy has been shown to help reduce pain and improve mental health. So far, multiple studies have tested EAET in both Veterans and civilians, and the results have been promising. EAET has helped people feel less pain, move better, and experience fewer mental health symptoms. Because of these strong results, the U.S. Department of Health \& Human Services named EAET a Best Practice for managing pain in 2019. Two earlier studies at a VA hospital in Los Angeles found that EAET worked even better than another well-known therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic pain (CBT-CP) for older Veterans. However, those studies were done in tightly controlled settings. Now, researchers want to see if EAET works just as well when it's used in everyday healthcare settings, by different types of doctors and therapists. This new project will happen in two parts, but we will only focus on the first part in this entry: In the first part (a 1-year phase), doctors and therapists at up to 7 VA hospitals across the country will be trained to use EAET. They will then try it out with Veterans to see how well it works and how easy it is to use in real clinics. Veterans, doctors, and other staff will be asked for feedback to learn what helps or gets in the way of using EAET.

The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of neck and low back pain among physical therapy students enrolled at The University of the West Indies, Mona. It also aims to assess students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding spine health and to evaluate the effectiveness of an eight-week standardised spine-specific exercise programme in reducing musculoskeletal pain and improving functional status among those reporting symptoms. The study will be conducted in two phases, beginning with a descriptive cross-sectional assessment of prevalence, followed by a prospective randomised controlled trial in which students experiencing neck and/or low back pain will be allocated to either a spine-specific exercise intervention group or a non-spine-specific exercise control group for comparative analysis of outcomes.