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Pain Neuroscience Education Delivered During Aerobic Exercise Versus Exercise Alone

NCT07152171 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 24

Last updated 2026-02-27

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Chronic musculoskeletal pain is a common health condition that reduces quality of life and increases disability. Pain neuroscience education (PNE) has shown positive effects on pain perception, beliefs, and function, especially when combined with physical activity. This randomized controlled trial will compare the effectiveness of delivering PNE during aerobic exercise on a cycle ergometer versus aerobic exercise alone in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups:

PNE during aerobic exercise (experimental group),

Aerobic exercise alone (control group).

Both groups will perform supervised cycling sessions lasting 20-30 minutes at light intensity (Borg CR10 = 3, 40-50% HRmax). The experimental group will simultaneously receive interactive education about pain mechanisms, central sensitization, and self-management strategies, supported by visual aids and metaphors delivered by a therapist during cycling.

Outcomes will be measured at baseline and after the intervention, including:

Pain intensity (Visual Analog Scale),

Pressure pain threshold (algometry),

Functional performance (Sit-to-Stand test),

Safety and comfort (Likert scale),

The study will enroll 24 participants (12 per group). The findings are expected to clarify whether integrating education with exercise provides superior benefits compared to exercise alone, offering an innovative, safe, and cost-effective strategy for managing chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Conditions

  • Chronic Low Back Pain

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Pain Neuroscience Education During Aerobic Exercise

Participants will cycle on an ergometer for 20-30 minutes at light intensity (Borg CR10 = 3; 40-50% HRmax). During cycling, they will receive interactive pain neuroscience education delivered by a therapist, including neurobiology of pain, central sensitization, and self-management strategies. Visual aids and metaphors will be used to facilitate understanding.

BEHAVIORAL

Aerobic Exercise Alone

Participants will perform 20-30 minutes of supervised cycling on an ergometer at light intensity (Borg CR10 = 3; 40-50% HRmax). No educational content will be provided. Sessions will include warm-up, main phase, and cool-down, matched in duration and intensity to the experimental group.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Chile

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
65 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-08-25
Primary Completion
2026-01-15
Completion
2026-01-15

Countries

  • Chile

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07152171 on ClinicalTrials.gov