RecruitingNot Applicable

Effectiveness of Communication-Focused Pain Neuroscience Education in Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

Greece90 participantsStarted 2025-06-17

Plain-language summary

This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the "Algo(S)Therapy" Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) program in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. The study will assess whether the integration of communication skills training for physiotherapists enhances the outcomes of PNE. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) PNE with communication-focused delivery, (2) PNE without communication emphasis, or (3) standard- usual physiotherapy care. The primary objective is to determine whether PNE combined with enhanced communication skills leads to greater improvements in pain, function, and psychosocial outcomes compared to the other interventions.

Who can participate

Age range18 Years – 65 Years

SexALL

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AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 18 to 65 years * Diagnosis of chronic musculoskeletal pain in the lumbar spine, cervical spine, shoulder, or knee * Pain duration longer than 3 months * Pain intensity ≥3/10 on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) * Pain present most days of the week * Able to understand and speak the Greek language Exclusion Criteria: * Acute pain in any body region * Neurological disorders or myopathies * Chronic pain of non-musculoskeletal origin * Active cancer diagnosis * History of trauma, fractures, or surgery in the past year * Pregnancy * Diagnosis of fibromyalgia * Cognitive impairments affecting communication or completion of questionnaires * Current use of corticosteroid medication * Participation in other treatment programs or alternative therapies during the study period * Concurrent enrollment in another clinical trial

What they're measuring

Numeric Pain Rating Scale - NPRS

Timeframe: Baseline, Post-intervention (Week 5), and 3-Month Follow-Up

Trial details

NCT IDNCT07001449

SponsorUniversity of Thessaly

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeINTERVENTIONAL

Primary completion2026-08-30

Contact for this trial

Konstantina Savvoulidou

+30 22310 6017 ksavvoulidou@uth.gr