Functional Restoration and Integrative Therapies in Service Members With Neuromusculoskeletal Injury

NCT ID: NCT03297905

Last Updated: 2022-10-12

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

UNKNOWN

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

280 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2018-06-15

Study Completion Date

2023-12-31

Brief Summary

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This study will (1) compare the effectiveness of standard rehabilitative pain care with complementary and integrative pain therapies; (2) identify subgroups of patients who do and do not respond to the intervention(s); (3) determine the most effective sequencing of the interventions; and (4) determine factors associated with treatment response that can be implemented to support clinical decision-making.

Detailed Description

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Objectives and Rationale. Pain due to neuromusculoskeletal injuries is a leading cause of disability among active duty military Service members. The injury rate is significant with 628 neuromusculoskeletal injuries per 1000 person-years among active duty military Service members. Neuromusculoskeletal injuries include amputations following battlefield trauma, repetitive motion injuries related to equipment use or weight-bearing postures, and even injuries or strains incurred during off-duty pursuits. Regardless of cause, the effects on both individual Service members and military readiness are significant: Only 13% of Service members being treated primarily for pain ever return to the field.

The Department of Defense (DoD) has recently expanded its capacity to provide both functional restoration (FR) and complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) therapies for neuromusculoskeletal injury, pain, and disability. The proposed research aims to determine the most effective treatment combination, sequence, and duration of standard rehabilitative care (SRC), such as physical and occupational therapy in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy and CIM therapies, such as acupuncture and chiropractic, for Service members preparing to enroll in an intensive FR program that is currently the DoD-recommended treatment. In addition, this study aims to identify ways to predict in advance which patients will respond best to which therapeutic regimens.

Potential Impact. This research has the potential to determine which patients are most likely to benefit from the non-medication pain therapies currently available in all Army Interdisciplinary Pain Management Centers (IPMC) and how these therapies can most effectively be combined to achieve the greatest improvements in pain impact, quality of life and ability to return to duty following injury.

Patients Who Will Benefit. This study will involve active duty Service members referred to an Army IPMC. The results will be shared with other Military Health System (MHS) and Veterans Health Administration (VHA) pain management centers so that active duty Service members and veterans across United States may benefit from a treatment approach that is tailored to their individual characteristics. It is anticipated that the knowledge gained through this research will be applicable to family members of Service members and veterans and will ultimately lead to expansion of TRICARE benefits to include CIM therapies.

Potential Clinical Applications, Benefits, and Risks. This research will assist providers in determining when to refer their patients with neuromusculoskeletal pain for SRC and/or CIM therapies prior to FR. It will assist IPMCs in developing treatment plans tailored to the needs of each patient. Service members and veterans will benefit by being referred for these approaches when appropriate during the course of disabling chronic pain conditions. Ultimately, it is hoped that decision tools can be imbedded in the electronic medical record to guide health care providers to consider referral for these therapies in patients who may benefit. This study will advance our ability to effectively tailor therapies for rehabilitation from neuromusculoskeletal pain for different patients to yield the greatest benefit in physical function and quality of life. The risks of these interventions are minimal; Service members may experience general muscle soreness for the first week or so of increased physical activity, but this typically resolves.

Projected Timeline. This research will determine the optimal combination, sequence, and duration of therapies. It is expected that some active duty Service members could see improvements in function and quality of life within three weeks, but others may require up to six weeks to experience meaningful improvement.

Benefit to Military Personnel. This research will benefit Service members experiencing pain due to neuromusculoskeletal injury. It will identify ways to direct them to the therapies most likely to yield meaningful improvements in function and quality of life, and thus facilitate their return to duty. The recommendations from this study will be shared with pain management centers throughout the DoD, VHA; and, we hope, eventually to TRICARE members.

Conditions

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Chronic Pain

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

SEQUENTIAL

Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (SMART)
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Complementary and Integrative Therapies

Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Yoga, Biofeedback (if indicated), and Foam roller instruction

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Complementary and Integrative Therapies

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Intervention time period is 3 - 6 weeks.

Standard Rehabilitative Care

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) 60-minute orientation, CBT psychoeducation group, and Physical therapy/occupational therapy

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Standard Rehabilitative Care

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Intervention time period is 3 - 6 weeks.

Interventions

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Complementary and Integrative Therapies

Intervention time period is 3 - 6 weeks.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Standard Rehabilitative Care

Intervention time period is 3 - 6 weeks.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Active duty service members
* Neuromusculoskeletal or neuropathic pain ≥ 3-months duration
* Pain of sufficient severity to bring about dysfunction in daily social, vocational, and/or interpersonal activities

Exclusion Criteria

* Major surgeries within past 6 months or planned within next 6 months
* Unstable psychological disorders
* Active substance use disorder
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

70 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Madigan Army Medical Center

FED

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Washington

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Ardith Doorenbos

Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Ardith Z Doorenbos, RN, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Washington

Locations

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Madigan Army Medical Center

Tacoma, Washington, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Wi D, Flynn DM, Park C, Ransom JC, McQuinn HM, Snow TJ, Burke LA, Steffen AD, Shimada S, Doorenbos AZ. Dynamic Interactions in Chronic Pain-Related Outcomes: A Secondary Data Analysis of a Pragmatic Clinical Trial With Sequential, Multiple Assignment, Randomized Trial Design. Mil Med. 2025 May 29:usaf225. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usaf225. Online ahead of print.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 40440185 (View on PubMed)

Flynn DM, Ransom JC, Steffen AD, Orr KP, McQuinn HM, Snow TJ, Burke LA, Wi D, Doorenbos AZ. Complementary, integrative, and standard rehabilitative therapies in a military population with chronic predominantly musculoskeletal pain: a pragmatic clinical trial with SMART design. Pain. 2025 Jun 1;166(6):1343-1353. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003462. Epub 2024 Nov 8.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 39560398 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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STUDY00004220

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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