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Enhancing Exercise and Psychotherapy to Treat Pain and Addiction in Opioid Use Disorders ("EXPO" Pilot Trial)

Enhancing Exercise and Psychotherapy to Treat Pain and Addiction in Adults With an Opioid Use Disorder (EXPO): A Randomized Pilot Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04736550
Enrollment
63
Registered
2021-02-03
Start date
2021-01-08
Completion date
2022-08-31
Last updated
2026-03-24

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Opioid-use Disorder, Pain

Keywords

exercise, psychotherapy, residential drug treatment, OUD, chronic pain

Brief summary

The purpose of this pilot trial is to determine the feasibility of integrating exercise and psychotherapy that is specifically targeted to reducing and managing pain into residential drug treatment programs. The investigators will evaluate the feasibility (adherence) of integrating 'assisted' rate cycling, voluntary rate cycling and psychotherapy for pain (I-STOP) in participants with an opioid use disorder (OUD) and pain enrolled in residential drug treatment programs. The investigators will also explore the potential effects of 'assisted' rate cycling, voluntary rate cycling and I-STOP on pain, cravings, depression, anxiety, weight and sleep.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALExercise

Participants who are randomized to exercise will be perform exercise on stationary bikes. Participants randomized to "Voluntary Exercise" will exercise on a standard stationary bike where they will pedal at their voluntary rates. Participants randomized to "Assisted Exercise" will exercise on a special bike that assists them to pedal faster than they do voluntarily on their own ("assisted (exercise) bike").

BEHAVIORALPsychotherapy for Pain (I-STOP)

Participants who are randomized to receive I-STOP will receive the "Self-regulation Treatment for Opioid addiction and Pain" (STOP) program modified for inpatients/residential drug treatment (I-STOP). I-STOP uses empirically validated pain psychotherapy approaches targeted to patients with an OUD using psycho-physiological self-regulation components and biofeedback with "Bio-dots".

Sponsors

Case Western Reserve University
Lead SponsorOTHER
University of Colorado, Denver
CollaboratorOTHER
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
CollaboratorNIH
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
CollaboratorNIH

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
FACTORIAL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Caregiver, Outcomes Assessor)

Intervention model description

In the pilot trial (R61 Phase), the investigators will use a multi-phase optimization trial (MOST) approach to help identify which components of the exercise and psychotherapy for pain treatment program are viable and worth retaining in the planned fully powered trial (R33 Phase). In the R61 Phase/Pilot Trial, the investigators will have two intervention components: 1) exercise with 3 levels ('assisted', voluntary, none/treatment as usual (TAU); and, 2) psychotherapy for pain (I-STOP) with 2 levels (Yes/I-STOP, No/TAU). All participants will receive also receive the treatment as usual at their residential drug treatment program and any medication assisted treatment (MAT). This corresponds to a 2\^1 x 3 1 full factorial with six experimental conditions.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* 18 to 65 years old * Must be enrolled in a Residential Drug Treatment Program at a collaborating drug treatment center * Must be diagnosed with an Opioid Use Disorder (OUD; ICD-10 F11.20) or a Poly-substance Drug Use that includes an opioid component (ICD-10,F19.xx) and self-reported pain or a pain condition describing a non-cancer related chronic pain disorder * Must be approved to exercise in the study by the drug treatment center Medical Director, physician or other relevant clinical staff or primary care physician (PCP)

Exclusion criteria

* Any substantive contraindications to exercise

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Adherence (% of sessions attended)through study completion, an average of 8 weeksPercentage of exercise and psychotherapy sessions attended

Countries

United States

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORNora L Nock, PhD

Case Western Reserve University

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Mar 25, 2026