Pain Paid Clinical Trials in Massachusetts

Pain has been identified as among the most frequent presenting medical complaints, in particular within primary care for Veterans. There are few areas of daily living and functioning that pain intensity does not impact, with reported pain intensity related to difficulties in social situations and changes in activities of daily life, sleep, and appetite. Therapeutic interventions such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Chronic Pain (ACT-CP) that target issues related to the cognitions and emotional concerns related to chronic pain have been well-documented for reduction of associated psychiatric symptoms and modest pain relief. At the same time, online programming can improve the ability of pain psychoeducation programs and ACT-CP to reach patients. The proposed project will compare online Veteran ACT for Chronic Pain (VACT-CP) compared to another pain program, Online Pain School, to evaluate how they assist Veterans with chronic pain to improve their functioning, pain management, and quality of life. Read Less

This research study will evaluate the effectiveness of utilizing Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA) on veterans with with a history of substance use disorder and chronic pain for 8 weeks. Primary Aim: The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of using BFA to treat chronic pain in veterans with a history of substance use disorder. Secondary Aim: This study will also evaluate the impact that BFA treatment for pain may have on subjects' stress, mood and sleep patterns over 8 weeks. In addition, each subject will be complete behavioral research tools to measure: depression, anxiety, and substance use at 3 different points in this study. Hypothesis: The use of BFA on veterans with chronic pain will decrease their pain and substance use and improve their quality of life. Read Less

The goal of this research study is to test the efficacy of a non-prescription medicine, web-based platform solution for patients with chronic pain, to improve pain self-management and related outcomes. The main question investigators aim to answer is; would the use of this web-based intervention plus an online group visit compared to control result in better pain-related outcomes and improved pain impact? Read Less

This is a Platform Protocol to perform Phase II clinical trials in The Early Phase Pain Investigation Clinical Network (EPPIC-Net), under The Helping to End Addiction Long-termSM Initiative, or NIH HEAL InitiativeSM, related to the treatment of Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (PDPN) in a platform setting to test multiple assets under a single protocol. Read Less

This study is being done to see if nitrous oxide during vasectomy decreases pain and anxiety, and also assess whether patients have better satisfaction when they control their own level of nitrous oxide during the procedure. If we find that patients experience less pain or anxiety with nitrous oxide, it could be suggested that self-adjusted nitrous oxide (SANO) may be a useful tool for improving experience of care during vasectomy. Read Less

The investigators will conduct a 12,500-patient randomized multi-center trial to determine (i) which general anesthesia technique yields superior patient recovery experiences in any of three surgical categories ((a) major inpatient surgery, (b) minor inpatient surgery, (c) outpatient surgery) and (ii) whether TIVA confers no more than a small (0.2 %) increased risk of intraoperative awareness than INVA in patients undergoing both outpatient and inpatient surgeries Read Less

Chronic pain and heavy drinking are common co-occurring conditions among patients presenting to primary care settings. Given their impact on functioning and medical outcomes, there would be considerable benefit to developing an accessible, easily utilized, integrative approach to reduce alcohol use and pain that can be readily incorporated into the health care settings. The objective of this study is to test a modified version of a smartphone-based intervention for reducing pain and alcohol use among individuals experiencing chronic pain who engage in heavy drinking. The primary goal is to test the feasibility and acceptability of implementing this intervention in a sample that includes participants from rural areas and providing initial data on the utility of the intervention. Read Less

The goal of this study is to determine if a mind-body intervention can help people suffering from chronic back pain. The study is a randomized, partially blinded trial examining the effectiveness of a mind body intervention in reducing disability from back pain and alleviating back pain in participants as compared to usual care and an active control (second mind body intervention). The investigators will secondarily investigate whether the intervention alleviates anxiety related to the pain and other quality of life parameters. Read Less

In this research study, we want to learn more about the impact of two different local anesthetics (bupivacaine and lidocaine) on patient experience following orthognathic (jaw) surgery. Both anesthetics are within the standard of care for dental and orthognathic procedures, but can vary in how quickly they take action and how long they last. This study will provide us with a greater understanding of how anesthetic choice affect patient outcomes, and how we can strive to make these outcomes as favorable as possible. Read Less

This pilot study evaluates the tolerability and feasibility of the Axoguard Large-Diameter Nerve Cap (sizes 5-7 mm) for protecting and preserving terminated nerve endings after limb trauma or amputation when immediate attention to the nerve injuries is not possible. Read Less

The goal of this observational study is to learn about how regional anesthesia (numbing medication) affects pain in patients with different psychosocial phenotypes such as different levels of concern about pain, sleep issues, and anxiety, who are having surgery. The main questions are: 1. Do psychosocial factors such as concerns about pain, sleep, anxiety affect the effectiveness of regional anesthesia? 2. Do psychosocial factors and regional anesthesia affect the amount of opioids used after surgery? 3. Do psychosocial factors and regional anesthesia affect development of chronic postsurgical pain? Read Less

The current project will (1) enhance our understanding of the neurobiology of chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP); (2) provide a metric to follow patients with CPSP in the clinic; (3) provide a metric for those who will chronify; and (4) understand the age-related differences in CPSP. Ultimately, an improved comprehension of mechanisms linked to CPSP will provide finer tools for optimizing the selection of treatments for individual patients. Moreover, data that demonstrates the underlying pathobiological pain mechanism(s) active in CPSP, particularly those non-responsive to current therapies, may be used to validate novel strategies both pharmacological and non-pharmacological. Read Less