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POWeR Trial for Veterans With Chronic Back/Neck Pain

This study is for veterans experiencing chronic back or neck pain. It aims to find out which treatment works best among three options: Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain (CBT-CP), or continuing your usual care for pain. PRT is a newer therapy that helps you rethink how your brain processes pain, while CBT-CP is a well-established therapy that helps you manage pain and its impact on your daily life. The study will look at how much your pain intensity changes after treatment and over the course of a year, as well as how these treatments affect your emotional well-being, quality of life, anxiety, and use of pain medication. You may be able to join if you are an adult veteran with chronic back or neck pain that is moderate or worse.

Study design
This is an interventional study planning to enroll 360 participants. You will be randomly assigned to receive one of the three treatments.
What's involved
You will complete questionnaires about your pain and health. The CBT-CP intervention involves 9 sessions.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your pain intensity will be measured at the end of treatment (around 10 weeks) and then again at 26, 39, and 52 weeks after you are assigned to a treatment group.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT07137715

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

Recruiting
NAAges 18+InterventionalTreatment
University of Colorado, Denver
~360 participants
Updated 2026-03-31 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Pain reprocessing therapy (PRT)Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain (CBT-CP)Usual Care

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 intensity
Measured over Post-treatment (at an average of 10 weeks) and 26, 39, and 52 weeks post-randomization

Conditions

Chronic Pain
Back Pain
Back Pain Lower Back Chronic
Neck Pain

Explore related trials

Chronic back painChronic neck pain

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
Colorado1

Study leadership

  • Jonathan K. Ashar, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of Colorado, Denver
  • Joseph W. Frank, MD, MPH · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System

Who to contact

Jonathan K Ashar, PhD
[email protected]
303.724.2536
Email the study team

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Do you actually qualify for this trial?

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

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

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

What this trial measures

  • Pain intensityPost-treatment (at an average of 10 weeks) and 26, 39, and 52 weeks post-randomization

    Last-week average pain intensity is assessed via the Brief Pain Inventory Short Form (BPI-SF). The BPI-SF assesses pain severity and its impact on functioning. It consists of 9 total items including 4 pain intensity items and 5 pain interference items. The 4 pain intensity items measure pain in the last week on a numerical rating scale of 0 (no pain at all) to 10 (pain as bad as you can imagine).