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Online Yoga vs. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

This study is comparing two online programs for veterans with chronic musculoskeletal pain: a 12-week online yoga course and a 12-week Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) course. ACT is a type of behavioral therapy that helps you cope with pain. The study aims to see if online yoga is as effective as ACT in reducing your pain. You might be able to join if you are a U.S. veteran aged 18 or older, have chronic pain (lasting over 6 months) from a musculoskeletal condition, and your pain intensity is at least 4 out of 10. The main goal is to measure how much your pain interferes with your daily life, at the start, after 12 weeks, and 6 months later. The current recruitment status is unclear.

Study design
This is an interventional study where participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: online yoga or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The study plans to enroll 274 participants.
What's involved
You would participate in weekly online group classes for 12 weeks and complete self-report questionnaires about your chronic pain.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
There will be a 6-month follow-up period after treatment to check for any adverse events and maintain contact.

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NCT06704061

Online Yoga vs Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Treating Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

Recruiting
NAAges 18+InterventionalTreatment
Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research
~274 participants
Updated 2026-01-29 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:YogaAcceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Pain Interference (Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form)
Measured over Baseline, End-of-treatment at 12 weeks, and 6 months after treatment

Conditions

Chronic Pain
Musculoskeletal Pain

Explore related trials

Chronic PainMusculoskeletal Pain

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
California1

Study leadership

  • Peter Bayley, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research

Who to contact

Peter Bayley, PhD
[email protected]
650-493-5000 · ext. 68653
Email the study team

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Veteran of the United States Armed Forces ≥ 18 years old
Chronic pain \> 6 months related to at least one musculoskeletal pain-related diagnosis indicated by an ICD-9 or -10 code
Minimum pain intensity at screening ≥4 on a 0-10 using the Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS)
Not begun new pain treatments or medications in the past month
Stable medication regimen for at least 4 weeks prior to entry to the study
English literacy
Internet connection at home

Exclusion

Participation in another clinical trial, unless given prior authorization from both our research team and that of the other study
Back surgery within the last 12 months
Back pain potentially attributed to a specific known condition
Baseline pain \<4 or ≥9 on a 0-10 Numeric Rating Scale
Unstable, serious coexisting medical illness, mental illness or psychiatric conditions
Attended or practiced yoga ≥ 1 x in the past 12 months
Current suicidal intent or plan
Has received ACT in the past

What this trial measures

  • Pain Interference (Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form)Baseline, End-of-treatment at 12 weeks, and 6 months after treatment

    The degree to which pain impacts mood, walking and other daily activities, as measured by the Pain Interference Scale of the Brief Pain Inventory - Short Form (BPI-SF). The BPI-SF assesses intensity and impact of pain on functioning on a 0-10 rating scale, with higher scores indicating greater degree of interference.