Solving SCI Pain: Pain Recovery Tools for SCI

NCT07212725 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: SCI Pain Intervention - N of 1
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 12
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Brief Summary The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether a neuroscience-informed, peer-led self-management program can promote behavior change and reduce pain interference in adults with spinal cord injury (SCI) and chronic pain. The primary aim is to support participants in developing practical, sustainable strategies for managing chronic pain through education, reflection, and consistent application of self-management tools. The program is designed to shift participants from passive recipients of care to active agents in their own pain management process. Chronic pain is highly prevalent among individuals with SCI, and many report that traditional treatments - primarily pharmacological - provide limited relief and are accompanied by significant side effects. There is a growing need for accessible, non-clinical interventions that empower individuals to manage pain based on the latest neuroscience and behavior change principles. Solving SCI Pain intervention is a 7-week, multi-component program grounded in brain-based pain science, neuroplasticity, and behavior change models. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does the intervention lead to meaningful changes in behavior that support pain self-management?
• Does it reduce pain interference in everyday life? Participants will:
• Attend three 2-hour group education sessions focused on the neuroscience of pain, the role of fear-avoidance, pain-related beliefs, and body-based self-regulation tools (e.g., movement, Graston, percussion massage, and red light therapy).
• Participate in four individual coaching sessions (up to 1 hour each) designed to help them reflect on their experiences, overcome barriers, and integrate the tools into daily life.
• Follow individualized coaching recommendations and provided resources to support each participant's unique engagement with cognitive and body-based tools over the 7-week period, including light journaling, goal setting, and guided reflections.
• Complete brief check-ins every four days to monitor progress, engagement, and self-reported outcomes. Group and coaching sessions will be recorded and transcribed to support qualitative analysis, allowing researchers to understand how the intervention is experienced and delivered. This will help refine the program for future implementation and scaling. The study prioritizes accessibility, relevance, and peer involvement to address the real-world needs of individuals living with SCI and chronic pain.

Conditions

Spinal Cord Injury; Pain Management; Self-management Behaviors

Keywords

Spinal Cord Injury; Chronic pain; pain interference; behaviour change; pain self-management; peer-led intervention; neuroscience-based education; body-based tools

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Behavioral Change (Engagement / Adherence)

  Time spent using pain relief tools.

  From day 1, every 5 days until the end of the intervention (day 66). Then post intervention (day 71) and 3-month follow-up (day 161).

• Brief Pain Inventory - Interference

  A 7-item self-report measure assessing how pain interferes with daily activities, including general activity, mood, walking ability, work, relationships, sleep, and enjoyment of life. A single-item short form will be used for 5-day check-ins.

  7-item measure asked: Baseline (day 1), Longer form survey (days 21, 36, 51) and post intervention (days 71, 161). 1-item short form asked on 5-day check-ins (days 6, 11, 16, 26, 31, 41, 46, 56, 61, 66).

Secondary Outcomes (16)

• Brief Pain Inventory - Severity.

  4-item measure asked: Baseline (day 1), Longer form survey (days 21, 36, 51) and post intervention (days 71, 161). 1-item short form asked on 5-day check-ins (days 6, 11, 16, 26, 31, 41, 46, 56, 61, 66).

• Douleur Neuropathique 4 (DN4)

  7-item measure asked: Baseline (day 1), Longer form survey (days 21, 36, 51) and post intervention (days 71, 161). 1-item short form asked on 5-day check-ins (days 6, 11, 16, 26, 31, 41, 46, 56, 61, 66).

• SOPA-Emotions (Short Form)

  5-item measure asked: Baseline (day 1), Longer form survey (days 21, 36, 51) and post intervention (days 71, 161). 1-item short form asked on 5-day check-ins (days 6, 11, 16, 26, 31, 41, 46, 56, 61, 66).

• Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)

  19-item measure asked: Baseline (day 1), Longer form survey (days 21, 36, 51) and post intervention (days 71, 161). 1-item short form asked on 5-day check-ins (days 6, 11, 16, 26, 31, 41, 46, 56, 61, 66).

• Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS)

  13-item measure asked: Baseline (day 1), Longer form survey (days 21, 36, 51) and post intervention (days 71, 161).

Study Arms (1)

Experimental Pilot Group for Solving SCI Pain

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants receive a 7-week, peer-led, neuroscience-informed pain self-management program designed for individuals with SCI and chronic pain. The program includes three 2-hour virtual group education sessions covering pain neuroscience, fear-avoidance, and optional body-based tools (e.g., movement, red light therapy, percussion massage, Graston technique). Four individualized coaching sessions (up to 1 hour each) provide tailored support. Participants engage with recommended tools between sessions and complete structured check-ins every five days. Mechanism assessments (e.g., pain beliefs, self-efficacy, emotional reactivity) are conducted during the program, with full outcome measures collected at baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up. The intervention emphasizes autonomy, personal relevance, and peer support, distinguishing it from standard clinician-led approaches.

Behavioral: Solving SCI Pain: Peer-Led Pain Self-Management Pain Tools Program

Interventions

Solving SCI Pain: Peer-Led Pain Self-Management Pain Tools Program BEHAVIORAL

Solving SCI Pain Tools is a 7-week, peer-led, neuroscience-informed pain self-management program uniquely designed for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) and chronic pain. It integrates cognitive and body-based tools not commonly combined in other interventions, such as red light therapy, percussion massage, Graston technique, and guided movement, alongside education on pain neurobiology and behavior change. The program is delivered virtually and emphasizes participant autonomy, optionality, and personal relevance. Distinctively, it includes multiple individualized coaching sessions led by a peer with lived experience of SCI and pain. The program does not prescribe a fixed protocol but encourages flexible, self-paced exploration supported by structured check-ins. The integration of optional, non-clinical somatic tools with behavior-change coaching and SCI-specific education distinguishes this intervention from traditional rehabilitation or pain management programs.

Experimental Pilot Group for Solving SCI Pain

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You can participate in this study if you: * Have a spinal cord injury (SCI) from a traumatic or non-traumatic cause, experiencing neuropathic/chronic pain * Are age 18 years or older, and living in Canada * Can read, speak, and understand English, and have reliable internet access * Can commit to 10 weeks of data collection (a check-in every 5th day) starting 3 weeks prior to the 7-week intervention, and a 3-month post-intervention follow-up survey. You cannot participate in this study if you: * Have an SCI or dysfunction from congenital (e.g., spina bifida), or, other neurological conditions (e.g., MS). * Are currently participating in CBT or other pain-focused therapy * Are unwilling or unable to keep pain-related medication stable for the 10-week study period

Contact the study team to discuss eligibility requirements. They can help determine if this study is right for you.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of British Columbia: lead
• Spinal Cord Injury Ontario: collaborator
• International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of British Columbia

Kelowna, British Columbia, V1V 1V9, Canada

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Spinal Cord Injuries; Agnosia; Chronic Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Spinal Cord Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Trauma, Nervous System; Wounds and Injuries; Perceptual Disorders; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Pain

Study Officials

• Kathleen A Martin Ginis, PhD

  University of British Columbia

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Model Details: N of 1

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 19, 2025
• First Posted: October 8, 2025
• Study Start: September 15, 2025
• Primary Completion: February 28, 2026
• Study Completion: April 22, 2026
• Last Updated: April 22, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CA (1)