Actively Recruiting
Pain Reprocessing Therapy for Veterans With Chronic Back Pain: Comparative Efficacy and Facilitators and Barriers to Implementation
Led by University of Colorado, Denver · Updated on 2026-03-31
360
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
34 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
Sponsors
U
University of Colorado, Denver
Lead Sponsor
V
VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
Collaborating Sponsor
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Researchers are evaluating which treatment works better for veterans with chronic neck or back pain. This trial compares three approaches: Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and usual care, which means continuing whatever the participant is already doing to manage their pain. The study aims to understand how these treatments reduce pain and affect emotional health, quality of life, anxiety, and pain medication use. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the three groups. Those in the PRT group will have one telehealth session with a physician followed by eight weekly 50-minute therapy sessions using techniques like education about pain in the brain, mindfulness, and reducing pain-related fear. The CBT group will receive nine weekly 50-minute sessions focused on managing chronic pain through exercises, relaxation, cognitive coping, and sleep improvement. The usual care group will continue their current pain management for nine weeks. During the study, participants will complete questionnaires about their pain and health at several points, including after treatment and up to one year later. Researchers will assess pain intensity, pain interference, life satisfaction, depression, anxiety, fatigue, PTSD symptoms, client satisfaction, and medication use. The study is conducted remotely, and participants will be monitored through their responses and therapy sessions over video calls.
CONDITIONS
Brief Title
Psychological Options for Wellness and Recovery (POWeR) Trial for Veterans With Chronic Back/Neck Pain
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Adults 18 years and older
- Veterans
- Have chronic back or neck pain lasting at least half the days of the last 6 months
- Have moderate or greater pain intensity (4 or higher) in the past week
You will not qualify if you...
- Back pain secondary or peripheral in nature, including leg pain worse than back pain
- Spine surgery within the past 6 months
- Fall, motor vehicle accident, or trauma related to back pain in the past 6 months
- Back pain due to inflammatory disorder, infection, or malignancy
- Known sensory abnormality in trunk or legs
- Recent large unexplained weight loss (>20 lbs)
- Difficulty controlling bowels (possible cauda equina syndrome)
- Diagnosed inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, scleroderma, lupus, polymyositis
- Moderate or severe cognitive impairment
- Unstable or severe untreated mental health conditions including active suicidal thoughts
- Unstable or end-stage medical disease including active cancer
- Planned back surgery within the next 6 months
- Inability to communicate by telephone or video, including due to housing instability
- Current pain-related litigation outside the VA (service connection-related applications allowed)
- Engaged in CBT or PRT for chronic pain within the past 6 months
- Exclusion based on discretion of the principal investigators Ashar and Frank
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 screening and enrollment visit (remote)
Duration - Approximately 9 weeks
Participants receive 9 weekly remote psychotherapy sessions lasting about 50 minutes each, either Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain (CBT-CP). Participants in the usual care group continue their current pain management approaches for the same duration.
9 weekly remote therapy sessions
Duration - Up to 52 weeks post-randomization
Participants are assessed for pain intensity and other health outcomes at multiple time points after treatment to monitor progress and long-term effects.
Visits at approximately 10, 26, 39, and 52 weeks post-randomization
Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
Aurora, Colorado, United States, 80045
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
J
Jonathan K Ashar, PhD
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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