NCT05285462

Feasibility of Virtual Reality Delivery of Pain Neuroscience Education

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 52 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Utah · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 75 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Randomized Clinical Trail (RCT) for patients already planned to attend physical therapy for chronic low back pain. Patients will be randomized to receive Physical Therapy (PT) as usual or PT plus pain education delivered via virtual-reality headset.

Detailed description

There is an increasing emphasis in physical therapy and healthcare in general on enhancing patients' ability to self-manage spinal pain as a strategy to reduce disability for impacted individuals and escalating healthcare costs. This change in emphasis requires a paradigm shift on the part of practitioners and patients alike in how they conceptualize and respond to pain. PNE is a promising education strategy that has been shown to influence patient-reported outcomes in those with chronic pain and has been shown to influence the provider's beliefs about pain. However, the delivery of this education has proven difficult for providers in terms of comfortability and time-efficiency. A standardized delivery a PNE by experts in the field could prove efficient and effective. STUDY DESIGN The investigators' overall goal is to determine the feasibility of VR-delivered pain neuroscience education (PNE). Secondarily, the investigators would like to see if these interventions are best targeted to specific individuals. To accomplish these goals, the investigators will conduct a randomized clinical trial, randomly assigning participants to receive virtual reality (VR) education in addition to usual care or usual care with no additional education.

Conditions

• Low Back Pain

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	VR Pain Education	pain education delivered via VR headset, up to 12 sessions
BEHAVIORAL	Usual Care Physical Therapy	Normal course of PT without influence by study team on frequency or duration

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-03-09
• Primary completion: 2022-09-09
• Completion: 2022-09-09
• First posted: 2022-03-17
• Last updated: 2023-02-02

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States