Osteoarthritis Clinical Trials in Birmingham, AL

This mechanistic clinical trial proposes to test whether a five-day course of mindfulness meditation training (MMT) and tDCS, and their combination, can enhance pain modulatory balance and pain-related brain function, reduce clinical pain, among African Americans and non-Hispanic whites with knee osteoarthritis (OA). This approach will provide evidence that targeting stress and pain-related brain function will reduce OA-related pain and ethnic group differences therein. Read Less

The purpose of the chronic pain master protocol is to compare independent pain interventions and establish an overarching structure for the disease-state addenda (DSA) and intervention-specific appendices (ISAs). The ISAs may start independently of other ISAs as interventions become available for clinical testing. Read Less

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent form of arthritis and race is a risk factor for poor outcomes. Non-Hispanic Black individuals (NHB) report greater disability and pain severity compared to Non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). These differences are reinforced through social and biological mechanisms, ultimately resulting in disparities in pain experience and associated quality of life. National efforts to reduce analgesic utilization highlight the critical need for safe, effective, and accessible alternatives for pain relief for underserved/at-risk populations. Low-carbohydrate diets (LCDs) reduce inflammation and pain independent of weight loss, indicating that diet interventions offer a non-pharmacological alternative. However, racial differences exist in metabolism that are rarely addressed in diet intervention studies. Therefore, a LCD may have greater pain-reducing effects in NHBs and provide an alternative treatment for pain. This will be the first study to examine the efficacy of these diets to reduce knee OA pain with an emphasis on race and interactions with biopsychosocial variables. Aim 1: To investigate the efficacy of the LCD to reduce pain and improve QOL. Hypothesis 1: The LCD group will show significantly greater reductions in: self-reported pain and evoked pain when compared to the USDA diet. Hypothesis 2: The LCD group will show greater improvements in: QOL, mood, and self-reported improvement. Hypothesis 3: Both diets will result in improved pain disability, severity, catastrophizing and pain-related fear; the LCD will outperform the USDA diet. Objective 2: To explore racial differences in diet effects and baseline measures. Hypothesis 1: NHBs will show greater improvements in pain, QOL, and mood. Hypothesis 2: NHBs will report greater food insecurity and less proximity to grocery stores. Hypothesis 3: Diet quality will be negatively associated with baseline pain sensitivity. Objective 3: To determine whether physiological variables contribute to diet effects or lack thereof. Hypothesis 1: Baseline physiological measures will predict: pain sensitivity and reductions in pain. NHBs will show greater inflammation at baseline than NHWs. Hypothesis 2: Change in physiological measures will be related to: change in pain, change in QOL, self-reported improvement and mood. NHWs will show greater reductions in inflammation and adiposity than NHBs. Read Less

This study is being conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ASA compared to placebo in the management of osteoarthritis (OA) symptoms of the knee. Read Less

The goals of treating knee osteoarthritis (OA) is to improve or maintain quality of life, mobility and function, pain relief, and improve inflammation. The different treatment options for knee OA have been extensively studied and implemented, but the optimum treatment is still undecided. There is a belief that anti-inflammatory sleeve technology may be beneficial in treating knee OA. The purpose of this study is to determine if the Reparel™ knee sleeve results in superior mobility, functionality, and pain outcomes as compared to a placebo knee sleeve in managing knee OA. Read Less