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Online Yoga vs Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Treating Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

Online Yoga vs Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Treating Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06704061
Enrollment
274
Registered
2024-11-25
Start date
2026-01-07
Completion date
2029-11-01
Last updated
2026-01-29

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

Conditions

Chronic Pain, Musculoskeletal Pain

Keywords

chronic pain, veteran, musculoskeletal pain, yoga

Brief summary

This study will compare online yoga with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), an established treatment for chronic pain. We will compare the efficacy of the two treatments for reducing chronic musculoskeletal pain in veterans.

Detailed description

This study will test if online yoga is not inferior than ACT for treating chronic pain in veterans. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either online yoga instruction or ACT, once a week for 12 weeks in an online group class. They will complete self-report questionnaires about their experience of chronic pain. There will be a 6-month follow up period, during which the research team will check in with the participant to record any adverse events and maintain study contact.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALYoga

A 12-week online yoga course designed to treat pain.

BEHAVIORALAcceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

A 12-week behavioral therapy course designed to treat pain.

Sponsors

Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

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

Inclusion criteria

* Veteran of the United States Armed Forces ≥ 18 years old * Chronic pain \> 6 months related to at least one musculoskeletal pain-related diagnosis indicated by an ICD-9 or -10 code * Minimum pain intensity at screening ≥4 on a 0-10 using the Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS) * Not begun new pain treatments or medications in the past month * Stable medication regimen for at least 4 weeks prior to entry to the study * English literacy * Internet connection at home

Exclusion criteria

* Participation in another clinical trial, unless given prior authorization from both our research team and that of the other study * Back surgery within the last 12 months * Back pain potentially attributed to a specific known condition * Baseline pain \<4 or ≥9 on a 0-10 Numeric Rating Scale * Unstable, serious coexisting medical illness, mental illness or psychiatric conditions * Attended or practiced yoga ≥ 1 x in the past 12 months * Current suicidal intent or plan * Has received ACT in the past

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Pain Interference (Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form)Baseline, End-of-treatment at 12 weeks, and 6 months after treatmentThe degree to which pain impacts mood, walking and other daily activities, as measured by the Pain Interference Scale of the Brief Pain Inventory - Short Form (BPI-SF). The BPI-SF assesses intensity and impact of pain on functioning on a 0-10 rating scale, with higher scores indicating greater degree of interference.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Depression (BDI-II)Baseline, End-of-treatment at 12 weeks, and 6 months after treatmentSymptoms of depression as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II). The BDI-II is comprised of 21 self-report questions, scored on a 0-3 scale, with higher scores indicating more depressive symptoms.
Sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index)Baseline, End-of-treatment at 12 weeks, and 6 months after treatmentSleep quality as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The PSQI is a a self-rated questionnaire that assesses sleep quality and disturbances over a 1-month interval.

Countries

United States

Contacts

CONTACTPeter Bayley, PhD
peter.bayley@va.gov650-493-5000
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORPeter Bayley, PhD

Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026