Psychological Options for Wellness and Recovery (POWeR) Trial for Veterans With Chronic Back/Neck Pain

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, DENVER · Aug 21, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying ways to help veterans who have long-lasting neck or back pain. It is comparing three approaches to see which one works best to reduce pain and improve overall well-being. The treatments being tested are Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and usual care, which means whatever the person is currently doing to manage their pain. The study wants to find out not only which treatment lowers pain the most but also how they affect emotions, quality of life, anxiety, and the need for pain medication.

Veterans aged 18 and older who have had moderate or worse neck or back pain for at least half the days over the past six months may be eligible to join. Participants will be randomly placed into one of the three groups. Those in the PRT or CBT groups will have nine weekly sessions with a therapist through video calls, while everyone will fill out questionnaires about their pain and health throughout the study. Some people won’t be able to join if they have certain medical conditions, recent injuries, or if they’ve recently had similar therapies. This study is not yet recruiting but aims to help find better ways to support veterans living with chronic pain.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Adults (18 and older)
• • Be veterans
• • Have a history of chronic back or neck pain defined as pain at least half the days of the last 6 months.
• • Have moderate or greater pain, defined as pain intensity ≥4 in the past week
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Clinical presentation suggestive of back pain that is secondary or peripheral in nature, including self-reported leg pain that is worse than back pain (indicative of radiculopathy or sciatica), spine surgery within the past 6 months, fall, motor vehicle accident or other trauma related to back pain in the past 6 months, back pain due to an inflammatory disorder, infection, or malignant etiology as determined per medical provider review, known sensory abnormality in trunk or legs, recent large (\>20 lbs) unexplained weight loss, difficulty controlling bowels (to screen out cauda equina syndrome), and self-reported diagnoses of specific inflammatory disorders (rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, scleroderma, Lupus, and polymyositis).
• Additionally, patients who meet any of the following criteria are ineligible due to anticipated difficulties complying with study procedures:
• • Moderate or severe cognitive impairment
• • Unstable or severe untreated mental health condition, including active suicidal ideation
• • Unstable or end-stage medical disease including active cancer
• • Back surgery planned within the next 6 months
• • Inability to communicate by telephone or video, including inability due to housing instability
• • Current pain-related litigation outside the VA (service connection-related applications are not excluded)
• • Having engaged in CBT or PRT for chronic pain in the past 6 months
• • Participants may be excluded based on the discretion of PIs Ashar and Frank