Actively Recruiting
Effectiveness of the Algo(S)Therapy Pain Neuroscience Education Program Emphasizing Physiotherapists' Communication Skills in Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Led by University of Thessaly · Updated on 2026-05-07
90
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
N/A
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Researchers are evaluating the "Algo(S)Therapy" Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) program for adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain lasting more than three months in areas such as the lumbar spine, neck, shoulder, or knee. The study aims to assess whether adding communication skills training for physiotherapists improves pain, function, and psychosocial outcomes compared to PNE alone or usual physiotherapy care. The trial follows CONSORT guidelines and includes participants aged 18 to 65 who experience moderate pain most days and speak Greek. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups. The first group receives individualized PNE along with communication-focused physiotherapy delivered by trained therapists. The second group receives the same PNE intervention without additional communication training for physiotherapists. The third group receives usual physiotherapy care without any PNE or communication training. All interventions consist of ten sessions over five weeks with two sessions per week. Throughout the study, participants will complete assessments at baseline, after the intervention, and at three months follow-up. These evaluations include various measures of pain intensity, function, psychosocial factors, therapeutic alliance, and treatment satisfaction. Researchers will monitor adherence and any adverse effects electronically. The primary outcome is pain intensity measured by the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, with secondary measures assessing related physical and psychological factors.
CONDITIONS
Brief Title
Effectiveness of Communication-Focused Pain Neuroscience Education in Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Adults aged 18 to 65 years
- Diagnosed with chronic musculoskeletal pain in the lumbar spine, cervical spine, shoulder, or knee
- Pain lasting more than 3 months
- Pain intensity of 3 or higher on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale
- Pain present most days of the week
- Able to understand and speak the Greek language
You will not qualify if you...
- Acute pain in any body region
- Neurological disorders or myopathies
- Chronic pain of non-musculoskeletal origin
- Active cancer diagnosis
- History of trauma, fractures, or surgery in the past year
- Pregnancy
- Diagnosis of fibromyalgia
- Cognitive impairments affecting communication or questionnaire completion
- Current use of corticosteroid medication
- Participation in other treatment programs or alternative therapies during the study period
- Concurrent enrollment in another clinical trial
AI-Screening
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Your Study Journey
Duration - 2 to 4 weeks
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial.
1 visit (in-person)
Duration - 5 weeks
Participants receive individualized Pain Neuroscience Education-based physiotherapy interventions, delivered over 5 weeks with 2 sessions per week, totaling 10 sessions. Depending on group assignment, physiotherapy includes communication skills training, only pain neuroscience education, or usual care without PNE or communication training.
2 sessions per week for 5 weeks (10 sessions total)
Duration - 3 months post-treatment
Participants return for assessments at 3 months after completing the treatment to evaluate pain, function, psychosocial variables, and satisfaction with treatment.
1 follow-up visit (in-person)
Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
Physiotherapy Department, University of Thessaly, Greece
Lamia, Central Greece, Greece, 35100
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
K
Konstantina Savvoulidou
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
SINGLE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
PARALLEL
Primary Purpose
TREATMENT
Number of Arms
3
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