The Effect of a Technology-Mediated Integrated Walking and Tai Chi Intervention on Physical Function in Veterans With COPD and Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain (WATCH for Pain)

Persons with COPD benefit from being physically active, but they are often limited by chronic musculoskeletal pain. This project will determine whether a non-pharmacologic, integrated, technology-mediated walking and Tai Chi mindfulness intervention can improve physical function in Veterans with COPD and chronic musculoskeletal pain. The proposed research addresses VA Rehabilitation R&D Service's high priority area of improving health-related quality of life by reducing disease burden and maximizing function in Veterans with chronic disease.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: COPD; Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Usual Care; Behavioral: Every Step Counts-Tai Chi

Detailed Description

Current physical activity (PA) interventions for persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) focus primarily on reducing the debilitating symptom of dyspnea, or shortness of breath. However, over half of patients with COPD experience chronic musculoskeletal pain which limits achievement of PA goals and optimization of physical function. Low PA is associated with poor outcomes-increased risk of COPD acute exacerbations, hospitalizations, and death-independent of lung function. Funded by Rehabilitation R&D, the investigators have developed Every Step Counts (ESC), a web-based intervention to promote PA in Veterans with COPD. ESC couples a dynamic website with a pedometer that objectively monitors daily step counts. Based on the Behavioral Theory of Self-Regulation, the website provides individualized step-count goals, iterative feedback, education on disease self-management, motivation, and an online community of social support. In RCTs, the investigators have demonstrated ESC's safety, feasibility, and efficacy to increase PA over 3-6 months. However, not all participants increased daily step counts. In secondary analyses, the investigators identified pain as a significant barrier to PA. Participants with co-occurring pain and dyspnea walked 1,200-1,400 fewer steps per day, compared to those with no symptoms. In its current form, ESC does not focus on pain management. Tai Chi (TC) is an attractive nonpharmacologic treatment for chronic musculoskeletal pain. TC improves neuromuscular function, core strength, and lower limb proprioception. Importantly, the mindfulness embedded in TC uniquely addresses cognitive and psycho-emotional processes critical for pain management (i.e., "extinction of fear conditioning, acceptance-based coping strategies, increased ability to self-regulate affective appraisal of nociceptive input," and reduced pain-related distress and catastrophizing). The investigators have shown that persons with COPD can safely engage with TC delivered via either in-person classes or video instruction. The investigators propose to integrate ESC and TC to target biopsychosocial mechanisms of pain to break the chronic pain cycle and improve physical function in persons with COPD. The investigators will adapt ESC with pain management content, an online TC video library, and synchronous TC classes led by an instructor via teleconference. The investigators will randomize participants 1:1 to ESC-TC or usual care for 6 months. Assessments of outcomes will occur at baseline, 2, 4, and 6 months in all participants, and at 12 months in a subset who enroll early. Aim 1: Determine the efficacy of the ESC-TC intervention in 136 persons with COPD and chronic musculoskeletal pain to improve the primary outcome of physical function, measured by daily step count, compared to usual care at 6 months. Aim 2: Evaluate the effect of the ESC-TC intervention on secondary outcomes of (a) pain intensity and interference, (b) dyspnea, (c) health-related quality of life, (d) mobility, (e) depression, (f) exercise self-efficacy, (g) kinesiophobia, (h) pain catastrophizing, and (i) sleep quality. Aim 3: Explore the long-term effects of ESC-TC on symptoms and risk of acute exacerbations and COPD-related hospitalizations at 12 months in approximately 96 participants. The innovative multimodal, web-based, non-pharmacologic intervention to treat chronic musculoskeletal pain has potential to expand access to exercise as a rehabilitation strategy.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 136
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Marilyn L Moy, MD; Phone Number: (857) 203-6622; Email: Marilyn.Moy@va.gov

Study Locations

• United States
  • Massachusetts
    • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02130-4817
      • Recruiting
      • VA Boston Healthcare System Jamaica Plain Campus, Jamaica Plain, MA
      • Principal Investigator: Marilyn L. Moy, MD
      • Contact: Niquel Ortega; Phone Number: 857-364-5669; Email: Niquel.Ortega@va.gov
      • Contact: Carole L Palumbo, PhD; Phone Number: (857) 364-4754; Email: Carole.Palumbo@va.gov

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 40 years to 100 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male and female participants, aged 40 and older
• Clinical diagnosis of COPD defined as history of cigarette consumption of > 10 pack-years, and either a ratio of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) to forced vital capacity (FVC) < 0.70 or chest computerized tomography (CT) evidence of emphysema*
• Numeric Rating Scale pain score > 3 for > 3 months
• Self-reported ability to walk a minimum of one block, bend at the hip, and transfer weight from one leg to another
• Ability to complete 800 feet walk with Fitbit Inspire-2 recording > 90% accuracy to detect steps compared to manual counts*
• Have access to a computer or smartphone with Internet connection or willing to come to study site to use study computers
• Have access to videoconferencing audio and video capabilities

• Competent to provide informed consent and willingness to make return study visits

  • Different criteria are used if baseline study visit is a virtual one.

Exclusion Criteria:

• COPD exacerbation in the previous 1 month
• Clinical signs of unstable cardiovascular disease (active coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, uncontrolled atrial fibrillation, or uncontrolled hypertension)
• Oxygen saturation < 85% recorded on baseline 4-meter walk*
• High fall risk (unable to perform 5 chair stand tests)
• Inability to ambulate
• Inability to complete questionnaires
• Inability to collect at least 7 of 10 days of baseline step counts
• Active substance abuse
• Participation in a regular exercise (i.e., MOVE! or Gerofit) or Tai Chi program in the previous 3 months
• Concurrent participation in another interventional research study
• Receipt of hospice or end-of-life palliative care

• Active medical intervention that would cause a meaningful increase in pain such as surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy

  • Different criteria are used if baseline study visit is a virtual one.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Every Step Counts-Tai Chi; The intervention is ESC-TC which is a web-based platform (Every Step Counts) to promote walking combined with pain management content, an online Tai Chi video library, and synchronous Tai Chi classes led by an instructor via teleconference. The intervention is delivered remotely.	Behavioral: Every Step Counts-Tai Chi; The intervention is ESC-TC which is a web-based platform (Every Step Counts) to promote walking combined with pain management content, an online Tai Chi video library, and synchronous Tai Chi classes led by an instructor via teleconference. The intervention is delivered remotely.
Active Comparator: Usual Care	Other: Usual Care; Usual Care

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Physical Function measured by Daily Step Counts	The FitBit pedometer will objectively-measure physical activity as daily step counts.	6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pain Intensity	The 11-point Numeric Rating Scale (0=no pain; 10=worst pain imaginable) will assess pain intensity.	6 months
Dyspnea	Dyspnea will be assessed using the mMRC scale (responses 0-4 with 4 being the most dyspneic).	6 months
Pain Interference	The Interference subscale of the West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory will assess pain-related interference, with higher scores representing greater interference.	6 months
Dyspnea	UCSD Shortness of Breath Questionnaire with 24 items. Scores range from 0 to 120.	6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development
• Collaborators: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; University of Michigan
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Marilyn L. Moy, MD, VA Boston Healthcare System Jamaica Plain Campus, Jamaica Plain, MA

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 3, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 30, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 31, 2028

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 5, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 18, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): January 27, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 22, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 20, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: physical activity; videoconference; mindful movement
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Chronic Disease; Disease Attributes; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Lung Diseases; Lung Diseases, Obstructive; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Behavior; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Motor Activity
• Other Study ID Numbers: F4225-R

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: A Final De-identified, Anonymized Dataset will be created and shared upon request.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No