Pain Neuroscience Education Delivered During Aerobic Exercise Versus Exercise Alone
CompletedNot applicableNCT07152171
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This study has no listed site in Canada in this snapshot. It is included as part of the worldwide chronic pain corpus.
Brief summary (from the registry)
Chronic musculoskeletal pain is a common health condition that reduces quality of life and increases disability. Pain neuroscience education (PNE) has shown positive effects on pain perception, beliefs, and function, especially when combined with physical activity. This randomized controlled trial will compare the effectiveness of delivering PNE during aerobic exercise on a cycle ergometer versus aerobic exercise alone in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: PNE during aerobic exercise (experimental group), Aerobic exercise alone (control group). Both groups will perform supervised cycling sessions lasting 20-30 minutes at light intensity (Borg CR10 = 3, 40-50% HRmax). The experimental group will simultaneously receive interactive education about pain mechanisms, central sensitization, and self-management strategies, supported by visual aids and metaphors delivered by a therapist during cycling. Outcomes will be measured at baseline and after the intervention, including: Pain intensity (Visual Analog Scale), Pressure pain threshold (algometry), Functional performance (Sit-to-Stand test), Safety and comfort (Likert scale), The study will enroll 24 participants (12 per group). The findings are expected to clarify whether integrating education with exercise provides superior benefits compared to exercise alone, offering an innovative, safe, and cost-effective strategy for managing chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Study details
- Official title
- Pain Neuroscience Education Delivered During Aerobic Exercise Versus Exercise Alone in Chronic Low Back Pain
- Conditions
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Pain Neuroscience Education During Aerobic Exercise
- Behavioral: Aerobic Exercise Alone
- Sponsor
- University of Chile
- Start date
- 2025-08-25
- Primary completion
- 2026-01-15
- Sex
- All
- Age range
- from 18 Years to 65 Years
- Results posted
- No results posted in this snapshot
- Countries
- Chile
- Total sites listed
- 1
Eligibility criteria
Show eligibility criteria (verbatim from the registry)
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 18 to 65 years. * Diagnosis of chronic low back pain lasting ≥ 12 weeks. * Baseline pain intensity ≥ 4/10 on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). * Able to perform light to moderate aerobic exercise * Willing and able to provide informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Inability to understand or follow instructions. * Pregnancy. * Active cancer diagnosis. * Neurological disorders affecting the central nervous system (e.g., stroke). * Participation in alternative or concurrent therapies for pain management. * History of major orthopedic trauma or surgery in the last 12 months. * Any medical contraindication to light exercise identified during the medical screening.
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov (US National Library of Medicine), snapshot October 2026. Check the registry for current recruiting status. Record: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07152171