Pre-habilitation Interventions to Empower Patients With Chronic Pain

February 20, 2026 updated by: Geana P Kurita, Rigshospitalet, Denmark
The development of alternative methods to address simple clinical needs and easy interventions of self-application are desired in the pre-habilitation period (waiting list). To our knowledge that are very few studies regarding interventions for patients in waiting list for specialized treatment of chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) and they do not include cognitive-behavioural programs. This project is based on the hypothesis that educational and cognitive-behavioural interventions help to reduce deleterious effects of pain on some areas of patient's life. Therefore, the goal is to test two different interventions to help patients to self-manage their pain and avoid worsening in the pre-clinical period.

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.

Detailed Description

It is a randomized controlled trial for application and assessment of two interventions: an educational Video-based Pain Program (VP) and Empowered Relief Program (ER). The primary purpose of our study is to investigate the effect of ER and VP on the Pain Catastrophizing Score in people with CNCP who are waiting for Multidisciplinary pain treatment. The secondary aim is to analyse the effects on other patient reported outcomes such as pain intensity, pain interference in daily activities, pain catastrophizing, pain acceptance, quality of life, mood, perceived change on over-all pain status, as well as consumption of pain medicine and usage of healthcare services. The effects of the two interventions will be compared with each other and a control group.

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.
163

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

  • Denmark
    • København Ø.
      • Copenhagen, København Ø., Denmark, 2100
        • Rigshospitalet

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

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • First appointment date at the Multidisciplinary Pain Centre scheduled at least three months after the invitation to participate in this study
  • At least 18 years old
  • Fluent in the Danish language
  • Access to internet
  • Willing and available to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of cognitive dysfunction that interfere with understanding of the educational program and answering the questionnaires
  • Epilepsy
  • Current history of severe depression
  • Current use of private pain services

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: Factorial 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.
Experimental: VP group
Participants are linked to online informative videos on chronic pain produced by the Multidisciplinary Pain Centre (Rigshospitalet, DK). Ten video-modules of 2-6 minutes each. 1. Chronic pain development in Denmark, treatment offered at the Centre. 2. How chronic pain can affect life in all its facets. Chronic complex pain explained. 3. Psychological models used to describe affected life domains. The role of dysfunctional thoughts on e.g. anxiety. 4. The connection between pain and factors that can reduce energy level. 5. Pain interference in the familiar dynamic and relations. 6. Information about how to balance activity and rest - and on daily breathing exercises. 7. The Rules and opportunities when health challenges working life e.g. work relocation. 8. The importance of healthy habits regarding eating, sleep, and self-treating. 9. Selection of medication according to the patient's quality of life. 10. Expected side effects of medication and on measures to counteract side effects.
Behavioral: Educational Video-based Pain Program
Educational videos with 10 modules with information about pain.
Other Names:
  • VP
Experimental: ER group
Participants will attend a single-session, 2-hour online group class. The program has two main components: didactics and skills acquisition. Participants will learn about pain self-regulation and self-management. The program content includes strategies to empower individuals with chronic non-cancer pain as following: 1) the identification of unhelpful thought patterns in the moment, 2) regulation of cognition and emotion, including thought reframing and mindset, 3) how to decrease physiological hyperarousal using relaxation techniques (binaural relaxation audio file for diaphragmatic breathing and progressive muscle relaxation), and 4) establishing self-soothing actions. At the end of the class, participants will develop a self-tailored plan for implementing these skills/strategies in daily life to use behaviors that modulate attention and counteract helplessness (Darnall et al 2014). The online class will be delivered by a nurse certified in the ER.
Behavioral: Empowered Relief Program
Educational online session for skills acquisition to manage pain. Empowered Relief TM by Beth Darnall ©2013-2022 Stanford University
Other Names:
  • ER
No Intervention: Control group
Participants in the control group will not receive any of the interventions. This project will not interfere with any current or future pain treatment. After the end of collecting data, the Multidisciplinary Pain Centre will eventually make available the videos that compose VP to all patients.

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
Change from baseline pain catastrophizing at 2, 6 and 12 months
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the intervention
Pain catastrophizing in the last 24 hours; Pain Catastrophizing Score
Baseline, 2 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the intervention

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
Change from baseline pain intensity and interference in daily activities at 2, 6 and 12 months
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the intervention
Brief Pain Inventory to measure pain intensity and interference on general activity, mood, walking ability, work, social relations, sleep, and enjoyment of life with other.
Baseline, 2 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the intervention
Change from baseline pain acceptance at 2, 6 and 12 months
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the intervention
Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire to assess engagement in activity (despite pain), pain willingness, and total pain acceptance score.
Baseline, 2 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the intervention
Change from baseline health status at 2, 6 and 12 months
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the intervention
The Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile (MYMOP 2), which measures effects on patient self generated outcome on physical, emotional, or social symptoms/problems. It is problem-specific and includes general wellbeing.
Baseline, 2 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the intervention
Change from baseline health-related quality of life at 2, 6 and 12 months
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the intervention
RAND 36-Item Short Form Health Survey version 1.0 to assess physical functioning, role limitations due to physical health, role limitations due to emotional problems, energy/fatigue, emotional well-being, social functioning, pain, and general health.
Baseline, 2 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the intervention
Change from baseline anxiety at 2, 6 and 12 months
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the intervention
General Anxiety Disorder - 7 (GAD-7) is commonly used as a measure of general anxiety severity.
Baseline, 2 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the intervention
Change from baseline depression at 2, 6 and 12 months
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the intervention
Patient Health Questionnaires scale (PHQ-9) can help track a patient's overall depression severity as well as track the improvement of specific symptoms with treatment.
Baseline, 2 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the intervention
Use of medication and health care system at 2, 6 and 12 months
Time Frame: 2 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the intervention
Medication used (type and quantity), the number of times that he/she used the health care system because of chronic pain problem and treatment received (pharmacologic, surgical, rehabilitation, etc.), and number of absent days at work because of pain.
2 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the intervention

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Satisfaction with the interventions at 2, 6 and 12 months
Time Frame: 2 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the intervention
One general question about satisfaction with the intervention used (6-point scale) and additional comments.
2 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the intervention

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.
Rigshospitalet, Denmark

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.
The Novo Nordic Foundation

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: Geana Kurita, PHD, Rigshospitalet, Denmark

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.
May 31, 2023

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.
June 17, 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.
June 30, 2025

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 25, 2021

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.
December 15, 2021

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.
January 5, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

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.
February 24, 2026

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.
February 20, 2026

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.
February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • Pre-habilitation interventions

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

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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