NCT07393347

Pain Neuroscience Education for the Management of Chronic Pain in Elite Volleyball Players With Chronic Shoulder Pain

Pain Neuroscience Education for the Management of Chronic Pain in Elite Volleyball Players With Chronic Shoulder Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 40 (actual)
• Sponsor: Pamukkale University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This randomized controlled study investigated the effects of pain neuroscience education (PNE) on pain intensity, pain knowledge, and pain catastrophizing in elite volleyball players with chronic shoulder pain. Participants were assigned to either a PNE group or a control group, both continuing regular sports training, while the PNE group additionally received six weeks of structured education sessions.

Detailed description

This study represents a theory-informed intervention examining chronic shoulder pain in elite athletes from a modern pain science perspective. Instead of focusing solely on peripheral tissue pathology, the research is grounded in the biopsychosocial model of pain, emphasizing the role of central pain processing, pain beliefs, and maladaptive cognitive responses such as catastrophizing. In high-level volleyball players, where repetitive overhead loading and performance demands often lead athletes to continue training despite persistent symptoms, pain may become strongly influenced by cognitive and educational factors. Within this context, the study investigates whether modifying the understanding and interpretation of pain through Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) can influence both the sensory and cognitive dimensions of the pain experience. Methodologically, the study was designed as a prospective randomized controlled trial. Elite volleyball players with chronic shoulder pain were randomly allocated to either an education-based intervention group or a control group. Both groups maintained their regular sports training routines, ensuring that any observed effects could be attributed to the educational intervention rather than changes in physical load. The intervention consisted of a structured six-week PNE program delivered in repeated sessions, focusing on explaining pain mechanisms, central sensitization, and the non-linear relationship between tissue damage and pain. Outcomes were selected to reflect both physical and cognitive domains of pain: pain intensity, pain-related knowledge, and pain catastrophizing were measured before and after the intervention period to evaluate multidimensional changes associated with the educational approach.

Conditions

• Pain Management
• Sport Injuries
• Volleyball Player

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Pain neuroscience education	Pain Neuroscience Education is an educational intervention aimed at improving individuals' understanding of the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying pain. The education focuses on contemporary pain science concepts, including the role of the central nervous system, pain modulation, central sensitization, and the distinction between tissue damage and pain perception. The PNE program was delivered through structured sessions using verbal explanations, visual materials, metaphors, and examples relevant to daily life and sports activities. The content emphasized that pain is a protective output of the nervous system rather than a direct indicator of tissue injury, and that psychological, cognitive, and contextual factors can influence pain intensity and persistence. Participants were encouraged to reconceptualize pain, reduce maladaptive beliefs and fear related to movement, and develop a more adaptive understanding of their pain experience. The education was tailored to elite volley

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-12-03
• Primary completion: 2026-01-15
• Completion: 2026-01-16
• First posted: 2026-02-06
• Last updated: 2026-02-06

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)