Chronic Pain, Communication
Conditions
Brief summary
Rationale: Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) is a common and disabling condition. Physiotherapy is the most frequently administered non-pharmacological treatment option for patients with CMP and recently virtual reality (VR) was introduced in physiotherapy care as a novel treatment modality. Proper communication about physiotherapy treatment (modalities) is important to improve treatment outcomes, by applying placebo effects enhancing communication and avoiding nocebo effects enhancing communication. However, yet is still unknown to what extent this applies to communication of physiotherapists about VR in patients with CMP. Objective: To determine the effect of physiotherapists' placebo or nocebo therapeutic communication about VR, on treatment credibility and expectation in patients with CMP Study design: Web-based randomized controlled trial. Study population: 100 participants Intervention: The placebo intervention group will be shown an educational video about VR, containing placebo effects enhancing verbal language. The nocebo intervention group will be shown an educational video about VR, containing nocebo effects enhancing verbal language. Primary study parameters: The primary study parameters are treatment credibility and treatment expectation. Treatment credibility and treatment expectations will be measured using the Dutch credibility and expectancy questionnaire (CEQ).
Interventions
The placebo communication video comprises of an educational VR video containing placebo enhancing verbal language.
The nocebo communication video comprises of an educational VR video containing nocebo stimulating verbal language.
Sponsors
HAN University of Applied Sciences
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* aged ≥ 18 * access to the internet * provide informed consent * suffers from CMP
Exclusion criteria
* lacked comprehension of the Dutch language * had experience with therapeutic VR
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in treatment expectancy measured using the Credibility and Expectancy Questionnaire (CEQ) | Baseline and immediately after the intervention | This questionnaire on treatment expectancy scores from 6 (lowest expectancy) to 54 (highest expectancy) |
| Change in treatment credibility measured using the Credibility and Expectancy Questionnaire (CEQ) | Baseline and immediately after the intervention | This questionnaire on treatment credibility scores from 5 (lowest credibility) to 45 (highest credibility) |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in openness to VR measured using a single question | Baseline and immediately after the intervention | The question would you be open to treatment with therapeutic VR was scored with a yes/no |
| Change in pain intensity measured using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) | Baseline and immediately after the intervention | This questionnaire on pain intensity scores from 0 (no pain) to 10 (maximal pain) |
Countries
Netherlands
Outcome results
None listed