Pain Rehabilitation Virtual Reality (PRVR): Innovations to Enhance Mobility in the Presence of Pain (PRVR)

October 30, 2025 updated by: Laura E Simons, Stanford University
The proposed research is a single arm feasibility trial of pain rehabilitation virtual reality (PRVR) aimed at measuring feasibility, acceptability and utility of VR as well as changes in physical function and fear for adolescents with chronic musculoskeletal pain. The intervention includes standard physiotherapy treatment including functional goal setting and progressive exercise.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
34

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • Menlo Park, California, United States, 94025
        • Pediatric Pain Management Clinic - Stanford Children's Health
      • Palo Alto, California, United States, 94306
        • California Rehabilitation and Sports Therapy

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

10 years to 17 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 10 to 17 years old
  • Musculoskeletal pain (e.g. localized [back, limb], diffuse) not due to acute trauma (e.g. active sprain or fracture)
  • English Language Proficiency

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Significant cognitive impairment (e.g., brain injury)
  • Significant medical or psychiatric problem that would interfere (e.g. psychosis, suicidality)
  • Presents with a condition that interferes with virtual reality usage (e.g., history of seizure, facial injury precluding safe placement of headset, visual impairment, significant hearing impairment impact ability to follow audio instructions).

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Standard Physiotherapy Rehabilitation (SPR)
Sessions are individually-tailored and based on the Guide to Physical Therapy Practice 3.0 consisting of 1) therapeutic exercise, 2) balance and proprioception, 3) strength training, and 4) use of modalities (e.g., heat/cold pack). Patients will be given a structured Home Exercise Program (HEP) with prescribed exercises for home. SPR participants will be allocated a VR headset for recreational use.
Behavioral: Standard Physiotherapy Rehabilitation (SPR)
Participants allocated to either intervention arm will receive 8, 1-hour physiotherapy sessions delivered over the course of 6-8 weeks. Adequate dose: 75% (6 of 8 sessions).
Experimental: Pain Rehabilitation Virtual Reality (PRVR)
Participants will complete VR in PT to engage participants in a series of immersive games customized to align with individual PT needs delivered over ~6-12 weeks or until clinician believes the patient is done with treatment. Patients in the PRVR arm will be given a structured HEP to practice prescribed exercises at home with integrated VR activities. PRVR participants will be allocated a VR headset for use in PT sessions and with HEP. VR will supplement treatment and be used in session (either in-person or telehealth) and at home as part of their prescribed treatment homework.
Behavioral: Pain Rehabilitation Virtual Reality (PRVR)
Participants will receive approximately 8, 1-hour physiotherapy sessions delivered over the course of 6-12 weeks. Adequate dose: 75% (6 of 8 sessions).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
VR Duration of Use Per Week
Time Frame: Baseline to end of treatment across 6-8 weeks, on average
This outcome is to assess Feasibility, Acceptability, and Utility of VR.
Baseline to end of treatment across 6-8 weeks, on average
Participant Rated Ease of Use
Time Frame: End of treatment at 6-8 weeks, on average
This outcome is to assess Feasibility, Acceptability, and Utility of VR.
End of treatment at 6-8 weeks, on average
Participant Rated Enjoyment
Time Frame: End of treatment at 6-8 weeks, on average
This outcome is to assess Feasibility, Acceptability, and Utility of VR.
End of treatment at 6-8 weeks, on average

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain-related Fear and Avoidance
Time Frame: Baseline to end of treatment at 6-8 weeks, on average and at 3-months after end of treatment
Fear of Pain Questionnaire Short Form (FOPQ- SF): a 10-item validated patient-reported measure of pain-related fear and avoidance. Total score range: Min=0, Max=40; lower score indicates less fear and avoidance/better outcomes.
Baseline to end of treatment at 6-8 weeks, on average and at 3-months after end of treatment
Physical Function: Lower Extremity
Time Frame: Baseline to end of treatment at 6-8 weeks, on average and at 3-months after end of treatment
Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS): a 20-item validated patient-reported measure of lower extremity function. Overall score range: Min=0, Max=80; lower score indicates greater disability/worse outcomes.
Baseline to end of treatment at 6-8 weeks, on average and at 3-months after end of treatment
Physical Function: Upper Extremity
Time Frame: Baseline to end of treatment at 6-8 weeks, on average and at 3-months after end of treatment
Upper Extremity Functional Index (UEFI): a 20- item validated patient-reported measures of upper extremity functioning. Overall score range: 0 to 80, with greater scores indicating increased upper extremity functioning.
Baseline to end of treatment at 6-8 weeks, on average and at 3-months after end of treatment

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Stanford University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Laura Simons, PhD, Stanford School of Medicine

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 10, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 7, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 7, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
November 13, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 13, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 19, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 14, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 30, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
October 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 68669
  • R21AR079140 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data (text, tables, figures, appendices) that underlie the results reported in an article related to this trial will, after de-identification, be shared with researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Beginning 3 months and ending 5 years following article publication.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Proposals should be directed to Dr. Laura Simons at lesimons@stanford.edu. To gain access, data requestors will need to sign a data access agreement with Stanford University.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ANALYTIC_CODE

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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