NCT04744883

Efficacy of Spinal Manipulation Therapy or Mindfulness-based Reduction Therapy on Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain

Evaluating Specific and Non-Specific Mechanisms in Two Distinct Complementary/Integrative Interventions for Chronic Pain

• Status: Active Not Recruiting
• Phase: EARLY_Phase 1
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 140 (actual)
• Sponsor: Rush University Medical Center · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 75 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Chronic Pain Management (CPM) has increasingly utilized long-term opioid analgesic therapy, a change associated with increased opioid abuse (a greater exposure in vulnerable individuals), non-pain health consequences (hormone changes, falls), and a dramatic rise in opioid-related overdoses and deaths. Treatment strategies that minimize the need for chronic high-dose opioids are sorely needed. This project will aim to test what degree mindfulness therapy (MT) and spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) produce pre- to mid- to post-treatment changes in endogenous opioid (EO) function.

Detailed description

This project will determine whether enhancing endogenous opioids (via SMT or MT) permits achieving desired levels of analgesia with lower dosages of opioid analgesics, and fewer side effects and abuse-relevant drug effects. This X year project will test study hypotheses in a sample of 240 chronic low back pain patients. The study will have 2 key elements: 1) a randomized, controlled SMT or MT in chronic pain (CP) patients completing daily take home exercises and 2) laboratory evoked thermal pain protocols pre- and post- therapy, permitting the quantification of EO function and the examining of treatment-induced changes in EO function (placebo vs. naloxone). The study will employ a mixed between/within-subjects design using double-blinded and placebo-controlled administration of the opioid antagonist (naloxone). The study will use a 8 week supervised MT or SMT manipulation with subjects randomly assigned to one of the groups. All participants will undergo 4 laboratory pain-induction sessions in total. 2 during the pre-treatment phase, and 2 post-treatment. The laboratory sessions are identical. Each laboratory session will be roughly 2-3 days apart and the first 2 laboratory sessions will occur prior to the randomization to the treatment condition.

Conditions

• Chronic Low-back Pain

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Spinal Manipulation Therapy (SMT)	2 SMT techniques are administered each session, both of which are scripted interactions between the physical therapist (PT) providing the SMT and the subjects: 1) Participants will lie on the SMT table for 20 mins, while the PT sits approximately 6 ft away. As part of the script, the PT will review with subjects the inclusion/exclusion criteria ostensibly to ensure that nothing has changed. 2) The PT will perform the 2 SMT techniques during the next 20 mins. 3) Subjects will sit upright in a chair for the remaining 20 mins, while the PT sits approximately 6 feet away. The PT will review home exercises with participant.
DRUG	Naloxone	In randomized order (crossover) across 2 laboratory sessions each approximately 3 days apart, participants will receive either 1) 2 doses of saline placebo (20ml each) or 2) weight-adjusted doses of Naloxone beginning with a dose of 0.11mg/kg followed by a weight-adjusted dose of 0.055 mg/kg
DRUG	Placebo	In randomized order (crossover) across 2 laboratory sessions each approximately 3 days apart, participants will receive either 1) 2 doses of saline placebo (20ml each) or 2) weight-adjusted doses of Naloxone beginning with a dose of 0.11mg/kg followed by a weight-adjusted dose of 0.055 mg/kg
BEHAVIORAL	Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Therapy (MT)	Each MT session consists of (a) body scan meditation accompanied by awareness of breathing and other bodily sensations while in a lying position, (b) sitting meditation, focusing on awareness of breathing, bodily sensations, thoughts, and emotions (c) gentle movement exercises intended to develop awareness (mindfulness) during movement. In-session activities include suggestions for application of mindfulness as a method for responding positively to stress; dealing with the challenges of pain; and exercises focusing on the challenges and achievements patients experience in integrating mindfulness into their lives and the stressful situations they encounter. Additional discussion will focus on stress reactivity and they will be taught problem-solving skills to develop solutions to meet MT goals. Finally, patients will develop a written maintenance plan that includes a list of short- and long-term goals for applying mindfulness methods and a plan for dealing with possible setbacks.

Timeline

• Start date: 2020-08-15
• Primary completion: 2024-11-29
• Completion: 2026-06-01
• First posted: 2021-02-09
• Last updated: 2025-07-10

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated drug study