Pain Neuroscience Education for Chronic Pain

Brief summary (from the registry)

Chronic pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, with a high prevalence in Spain (25.9%) and an average duration of 6.83 years, highlighting its significant health and social impact. Among its manifestations, chronic low back pain (CLBP) is the most common, affecting 58.1% of individuals with chronic pain, while fibromyalgia (FM) accounts for 10.4%. In both cases, a relevant proportion of patients do not present a clear organic cause, which complicates diagnosis and treatment and reflects the complexity of nonspecific chronic pain. CLBP is associated with a high functional and occupational impact, being one of the main causes of temporary disability. FM, on the other hand, is characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep disturbances, and emotional symptoms, constituting a condition with systemic involvement. Both conditions can occur throughout the lifespan, with variations in prevalence depending on age, sex, social class, and the presence of comorbidities. Aging introduces relevant differences in pain experience and treatment response. At the physiological level, changes occur in the musculoskeletal system, such as the progressive loss of muscle mass (especially type II fibers) and decreased bone mineral density, which increases the risk of sarcopenia and frailty. In contrast, young adults show greater anabolic capacity, better hypertrophic response, and higher neuromuscular efficiency, favoring faster adaptations to exercise. These differences justify the need to consider age as a key factor in the therapeutic approach. In addition to structural changes, central sensitization plays a fundamental role in the chronification of pain. This process involves sustained hyperexcitability of the central nervous system, with a reduced pain threshold and altered inhibitory mechanisms, contributing to the persistence of pain even in the absence of significant tissue damage. The…

Study details

Official title

Effectiveness of Pain Neuroscience Education Combined With Therapeutic Exercise in People With Chronic Pain

Conditions

• Fibromyalgia (FM)
• Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP)
• Chronic Pain

Interventions

• Other: Therapeutic Exercise and Education in Pain Neuroscience
• Other: Therapeutic exercise and education in the neuroscience of pain: the placebo effect

Sponsor

University of Valencia

Start date

2026-05-05

Primary completion

2026-12-31

Sex

All

Age range

from 18 Years

Results posted

No results posted in this snapshot

Countries

Spain

Total sites listed

1

Eligibility criteria