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Procedure

Multimodal Therapies for Chronic Back Pain

N/A
Waitlist Available
Led By James Gross, PhD
Research Sponsored by Stanford University
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
Chronic Low Back Pain as defined by NIH task-force or Healthy Controls
Be older than 18 years old
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up up to 12 months post-treatment
Awards & highlights

Study Summary

This trial is testing four different treatments for chronic low back pain to see which is most effective.

Who is the study for?
This trial is for English-speaking adults with chronic low back pain as defined by the NIH task force. It's not suitable for those who can't have an MRI, are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, have certain medical conditions, neurological disorders like seizures or stroke, or mental health conditions that could affect participation.Check my eligibility
What is being tested?
The Stanford Center for Back Pain is testing four treatments: real-time fMRI neurofeedback (brain activity feedback), mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and acupuncture to understand how they work and their effectiveness in treating chronic lower back pain.See study design
What are the potential side effects?
While the study doesn't specify side effects, generally speaking, fMRI has no known side effects; CBT/MBSR may cause temporary emotional discomfort; acupuncture might cause minor bruising or bleeding at needle sites.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below
Select...
I have chronic low back pain or I am healthy without back pain.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~up to 12 months post-treatment
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and up to 12 months post-treatment for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Outcome measures can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary outcome measures
Changes in pain severity
Secondary outcome measures
Changes in pain symptom severity and well being

Trial Design

3Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: Project 3- AcupunctureExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
This arm investigates Acupuncture within 2 groups: Verum- Experimental Sham- Sham comparator
Group II: Project 2 - CBT/MBSRExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
This arm investigates 2 experimental groups: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Group III: Project 1- Real-Time fMRIExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
This arm investigates Real-Time fMRI within 4 groups: Attention Regulation (AR) Group- Experimental Cognitive Regulation (CR) Group- Experimental Sham Group- Sham Comparator Free Strategy Group- Active Comparator
Treatment
First Studied
Drug Approval Stage
How many patients have taken this drug
Acupuncture
2011
Completed Phase 3
~1240

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

Stanford UniversityLead Sponsor
2,386 Previous Clinical Trials
17,333,708 Total Patients Enrolled
Sean Mackey, MD, PhDStudy DirectorStanford University
2 Previous Clinical Trials
383 Total Patients Enrolled
James Gross, PhDPrincipal InvestigatorStanford University
1 Previous Clinical Trials
30 Total Patients Enrolled

Media Library

Acupuncture Treatment (Procedure) Clinical Trial Eligibility Overview. Trial Name: NCT02503475 — N/A
Chronic Lower Back Pain Research Study Groups: Project 1- Real-Time fMRI, Project 3- Acupuncture, Project 2 - CBT/MBSR
Chronic Lower Back Pain Clinical Trial 2023: Acupuncture Treatment Highlights & Side Effects. Trial Name: NCT02503475 — N/A
Acupuncture Treatment (Procedure) 2023 Treatment Timeline for Medical Study. Trial Name: NCT02503475 — N/A

Frequently Asked Questions

These questions and answers are submitted by anonymous patients, and have not been verified by our internal team.
~30 spots leftby Apr 2025