Effects of Pain Neuroscience Education With Sensory Discrimination Training Among Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain

NCT ID: NCT07284407

Last Updated: 2025-12-16

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

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

80 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-12-31

Study Completion Date

2026-02-28

Brief Summary

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The current study is a double-blind, parallel-group randomized controlled trial involving 80 participants with chronic low back pain. The trial will compare a program of Pain Neuroscience Education plus Sensory Discrimination Training and core stability exercises with a program of Pain Neuroscience Education and core stability exercises alone. Interventions will be delivered twice weekly for eight weeks. The primary outcome is pain catastrophizing. Secondary outcomes include kinesiophobia and functional movements. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, 4, and 8 weeks. The trial will be carried out at Nutricao Lahore Clinic and Model Town Hospital, Lahore. The hypothesis is that Pain Neuroscience Education with Sensory Discrimination Training will result in greater reductions in pain catastrophizing and kinesiophobia, as well as improvements in functional movements.

Detailed Description

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Chronic low back pain is a complex condition influenced by biological, psychological, and sensory factors. Pain Neuroscience Education has been shown to reduce maladaptive pain beliefs and improve pain processing, while Sensory Discrimination Training targets altered cortical representation that frequently occurs in chronic pain conditions. Combining these approaches may offer a complementary effect by addressing both cognitive and sensory dimensions of pain.

This study will evaluate the added value of Sensory Discrimination Training when delivered alongside Pain Neuroscience Education and core stability exercises, compared with a control intervention combining Pain Neuroscience Education, and core stability exercises. The trial uses a double-blind, parallel-group randomized controlled design with a total of 80 participants diagnosed with chronic low back pain.

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two intervention groups. The experimental group will receive structured Pain Neuroscience Education sessions, Sensory Discrimination Training using surface-based tactile discrimination tasks, and a standardized core stability exercise program. The comparison group will receive the same Pain Neuroscience Education protocol, and the same core stability exercise program. Both interventions will be provided twice per week for eight weeks, with each session lasting 45 minutes.

The study aims to investigate whether the addition of Sensory Discrimination Training results in greater improvements in pain-related cognitions, fear-related movement avoidance, and functional movement performance. The primary mechanism of interest is the potential effect of Sensory Discrimination Training on improving cortical sensory mapping, which may contribute to reduced pain catastrophising and improved motor function. Outcome measures will be assessedat baseline, 4, and 8 weeks (end of intervention). The current study will be conducted at Nutricao Lahore Clinic and Model Town Hospital Lahore under standardized procedures to ensure intervention fidelity and consistent delivery across sessions.

Conditions

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Low Back Pain

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

TRIPLE

Participants Caregivers Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Experimental Group

Participants in the experimental group will receive a 45-minute intervention session consisting of three integrated components (Pain Neuroscience Education, Core Stability Exercises and Graded Sensory Discrimination Training )

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Pain Neuroscience Education with Sensory Discrimination Training and Core Stability Exercises

Intervention Type OTHER

Although both Pain Neuroscience Education and Sensory Discrimination Training have demonstrated potential benefits individually, there is a paucity of research evaluating their combined effects. Integrating cognitive (PNE) and sensorimotor (SDT) approaches may produce synergistic effects, improving pain modulation, functional capacity, and psychological resilience.

Control group

Participants in the control group will receive the same 45-minute sessions consisting of two components (Pain Neuroscience Education and Core Stability Exercises).

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Pain Neuroscience Education and Core stability Exercises

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants in the control group will receive the same 45-minute sessions twice per week, but will not receive sensory discrimination training.

Interventions

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Pain Neuroscience Education with Sensory Discrimination Training and Core Stability Exercises

Although both Pain Neuroscience Education and Sensory Discrimination Training have demonstrated potential benefits individually, there is a paucity of research evaluating their combined effects. Integrating cognitive (PNE) and sensorimotor (SDT) approaches may produce synergistic effects, improving pain modulation, functional capacity, and psychological resilience.

Intervention Type OTHER

Pain Neuroscience Education and Core stability Exercises

Participants in the control group will receive the same 45-minute sessions twice per week, but will not receive sensory discrimination training.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Age: 19 to 44 Both Genders Mechanical low back pain (duration more than 6 months and less than 2 years) \>4/10 Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS)

Exclusion Criteria

* Pregnancy or post-partum Trauma Psychological Pain Radicular Pain Cancer, tumor, malignancy Neurological Deficit Recent Surgery \<1year
Minimum Eligible Age

19 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

44 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Lahore University of Biological and Applied Sciences

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Dr. Muhammad Tariq Rafiq

Associate professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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MUHAMMAD TARIQ RAFIQ

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Lahore University of Biological & Applied Sciences

Central Contacts

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MUHAMMAD SAAD JANJUA

Role: CONTACT

+923167995435

MUHAMMAD TARIQ RAFIQ, PhD

Role: CONTACT

Other Identifiers

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UBAS/ERB/FoRS/25/028

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id