NCT07327138

Children's Laughter and Fun Yoga as Adjunctive Pain Relief Following Chemotherapy.

A Multi-center, Assessor-blinded, Randomized, Parallel Group, Superiority Trial Evaluating the Efficacy of Home-based Laughter and Fun Yoga as an Adjunct for Pain Reduction in Pediatric Oncology Patients Receiving Chemotherapy.

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 60 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Bahaa Bou Dargham · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 2 Years – 10 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a home-based program that combines laughter and fun yoga can help lower pain in children receiving chemotherapy. The study focuses on children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who experience pain during treatment with chemotherapy and steroids. The main questions this study aims to answer are: 1. Does adding laughter and fun yoga to usual care lower pain levels in children receiving chemotherapy? 2. Does this program reduce the need for strong pain medicines, such as opioids? 3. Does the program help improve mood, anxiety, and sleep during treatment? Researchers will compare children who receive laughter and fun yoga plus usual care with children who receive usual care alone to see if the program works. Participants will: 1. Be randomly assigned to either the laughter and fun yoga group or the usual care group 2. Take part in the study during a 6-day period after receiving their chemotherapy treatment 3. Have their pain measured once each day using a child-friendly pain scale 4. Have parents answer short questions about pain medicine use, mood, anxiety, and sleep The laughter and fun yoga activities are gentle, safe, and designed to be done at home with the help of a parent. All participants will continue to receive their regular medical care throughout the study.

Detailed description

This study is a multicenter, randomized, parallel-group clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of a structured home-based laughter and fun yoga intervention as an adjunct to standard care for the management of chemotherapy-related pain in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Participants are enrolled during routine chemotherapy visits and undergo baseline assessment prior to randomization. Using a 1:1 allocation ratio, participants are assigned to either the intervention group or the control group. Randomization is performed to ensure balanced group allocation across participating study centers. The intervention consists of a structured program delivered at home over a six-day period. It integrates gentle, age-appropriate yoga movements, breathing exercises, laughter-based activities, and guided play. The activities are designed to be non-invasive, low intensity, and safe for children undergoing chemotherapy. Parents or caregivers supervise and actively participate in the sessions to support engagement and ensure safety. The intervention is intended to complement, not replace, standard medical care. Participants assigned to the control group receive standard care only, which includes routine pharmacological and supportive pain management according to institutional protocols at each participating center. No structured laughter or yoga activities are provided to the control group during the study period. Outcome data are collected through brief daily assessments conducted during the intervention period. Pain is assessed daily using a validated, child-friendly pain rating scale. Additional information on pain medication use and selected psychosocial outcomes is collected through parent-reported measures. Data collection procedures are designed to minimize participant burden and integrate smoothly into routine care. The primary objective of the study is to determine whether the addition of a structured, non-pharmacological home-based intervention can lower pain intensity during chemotherapy. Secondary objectives include evaluating the potential impact of the intervention on pain medication use and overall well-being. The findings of this study may help inform supportive care strategies for children undergoing cancer treatment.

Conditions

• Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ALL

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Laughter and Fun Yoga Program	This intervention consists of a structured, home-based laughter and fun yoga program delivered over six consecutive days. The program combines guided video-based sessions with daily activity packages containing materials for age-appropriate playful activities. The activities include gentle fun yoga movements, breathing exercises, laughter-based exercises, guided play, and positive affirmation. Parents or caregivers supervise and actively participate with the child throughout the program. The intervention is designed to be non-invasive, low intensity, and safe for children receiving chemotherapy, and it is provided in addition to standard medical and supportive care.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-10-15
• Primary completion: 2026-10-01
• Completion: 2026-12-01
• First posted: 2026-01-08
• Last updated: 2026-01-08

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Lebanon