Building Pain Resilience Through Physical Activity for Teens with Chronic Pain

This important clinical trial, called Physical Activity Pain Resilience, focuses on helping adolescents between 12-17 years old who suffer from chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions like juvenile fibromyalgia, amplified pain syndrome, or chronic lower back pain. The study will test a behavioral intervention called PREP-Y (Pain Resilience and Physical Activity for Youth) designed to help teens better manage their pain while becoming more physically active.

The 30 participants in this study will go through a series of psychoeducational modules over 6 weeks, learning strategies to build resilience against pain while engaging in physical activity. Researchers will primarily measure how feasible and acceptable this intervention is for young patients, which is crucial for developing effective non-medication approaches to chronic pain management in adolescents.

Secondary outcomes will examine actual changes in physical activity levels using accelerometer data (activity trackers) and improvements in daily functioning through standardized questionnaires. The study continues monitoring participants for 3 months after the intervention to assess longer-term effects.

Why this research matters:

• Chronic pain affects approximately 25-35% of children and adolescents, often disrupting school, sports, and social activities
• Current pain treatments frequently rely on medications that may have side effects or limited effectiveness
• Behavioral interventions like PREP-Y could provide safer, more sustainable pain management options
• Improving physical activity in teens with chronic pain may prevent secondary problems like deconditioning and social isolation

The study specifically excludes youth whose pain stems from other medical conditions (like arthritis or sickle cell disease) to focus on primary pain disorders. Participants must be English-speaking and cannot have untreated major psychiatric conditions or developmental delays that might interfere with the intervention.

This research, led by Dr. William Black at Nationwide Children's Hospital and funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), represents an important step toward developing evidence-based behavioral therapies for adolescent chronic pain. If successful, the PREP-Y program could become a model for helping teens build lifelong skills to manage pain while maintaining active, engaged lifestyles.

For parents of teens with chronic pain, this study offers hope for non-pharmaceutical approaches that address both the physical and psychological aspects of persistent pain. The focus on measuring real-world activity changes through accelerometers provides concrete data about whether the intervention actually helps participants become more active in their daily lives.

Chronic pain in adolescence can have cascading effects into adulthood if not properly managed. Research like this that combines pain science with behavioral psychology and physical activity promotion may lead to breakthroughs in preventing long-term disability and improving quality of life for young pain patients.