Online Yoga vs Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Treating Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

January 27, 2026 updated by: Peter Bayley, Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research
This study will compare online yoga with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), an established treatment for chronic pain. We will compare the efficacy of the two treatments for reducing chronic musculoskeletal pain in veterans.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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

This study will test if online yoga is not inferior than ACT for treating chronic pain in veterans. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either online yoga instruction or ACT, once a week for 12 weeks in an online group class. They will complete self-report questionnaires about their experience of chronic pain. There will be a 6-month follow up period, during which the research team will check in with the participant to record any adverse events and maintain study contact.

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 (Estimated)

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.
274

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 Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • Palo Alto, California, United States, 94304
        • Recruiting
        • Palo Alto VA Medical Center
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Peter Bayley, PhD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Louise Mahoney, MS
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Elizabeth Walker, MSPT
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Julie Wetherell, PhD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Santiago Allende, PsyD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Dave Clark, MD, PhD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Jessica Lohnberg, PhD

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Veteran of the United States Armed Forces ≥ 18 years old
  • Chronic pain > 6 months related to at least one musculoskeletal pain-related diagnosis indicated by an ICD-9 or -10 code
  • Minimum pain intensity at screening ≥4 on a 0-10 using the Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS)
  • Not begun new pain treatments or medications in the past month
  • Stable medication regimen for at least 4 weeks prior to entry to the study
  • English literacy
  • Internet connection at home

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Participation in another clinical trial, unless given prior authorization from both our research team and that of the other study
  • Back surgery within the last 12 months
  • Back pain potentially attributed to a specific known condition
  • Baseline pain <4 or ≥9 on a 0-10 Numeric Rating Scale
  • Unstable, serious coexisting medical illness, mental illness or psychiatric conditions
  • Attended or practiced yoga ≥ 1 x in the past 12 months
  • Current suicidal intent or plan
  • Has received ACT in the past

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: Single

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: Online Yoga
Postures, meditation, breathing exercises
Behavioral: Yoga
A 12-week online yoga course designed to treat pain.
Active Comparator: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Behavioral medicine
Behavioral: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
A 12-week behavioral therapy course designed to treat pain.

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
Pain Interference (Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form)
Time Frame: Baseline, End-of-treatment at 12 weeks, and 6 months after treatment
The degree to which pain impacts mood, walking and other daily activities, as measured by the Pain Interference Scale of the Brief Pain Inventory - Short Form (BPI-SF). The BPI-SF assesses intensity and impact of pain on functioning on a 0-10 rating scale, with higher scores indicating greater degree of interference.
Baseline, End-of-treatment at 12 weeks, and 6 months after treatment

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
Depression (BDI-II)
Time Frame: Baseline, End-of-treatment at 12 weeks, and 6 months after treatment
Symptoms of depression as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II). The BDI-II is comprised of 21 self-report questions, scored on a 0-3 scale, with higher scores indicating more depressive symptoms.
Baseline, End-of-treatment at 12 weeks, and 6 months after treatment
Sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index)
Time Frame: Baseline, End-of-treatment at 12 weeks, and 6 months after treatment
Sleep quality as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The PSQI is a a self-rated questionnaire that assesses sleep quality and disturbances over a 1-month interval.
Baseline, End-of-treatment at 12 weeks, and 6 months after 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.
Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research

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: Peter Bayley, PhD, Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research

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.
January 7, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
November 1, 2029

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
November 1, 2029

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 20, 2024

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 21, 2024

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 25, 2024

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.
January 29, 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.
January 27, 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.
November 1, 2025

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.
  • BAYNEW0004

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

All demographic, clinical observations, and clinical self-reports

IPD Sharing Time Frame

IPD and supporting information will be available at the end of the funding period. The duration of preservation and sharing of the data will be a minimum of 10 years after the funding period.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Data and source materials will be posted on DRYAD, an open-source tool for data publication and digital preservation. DRYAD provides searchable study-level metadata for dataset discovery. Data will be indexed by Google Dataset Search and other tools to enhance discoverability and will be discoverable online through standard web search of the study-level metadata as well as the persistent pointer from the DOI to the dataset.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF

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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