Chronic Pain, Emotions and Professional Football

NCT07583368 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: NFLStudy2025
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 32
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Chronic pain is influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors, including emotions and environmental context. Prior research demonstrates that emotional states and psychosocial processes such as depression, fear-avoidance, and catastrophizing significantly shape the pain experience. Professional sports fandom is known to influence emotional well-being, but its relationship to chronic pain has not yet been examined. This longitudinal observational study aims to evaluate whether weekly performance outcomes of participants' favorite U.S. professional football (NFL) teams are associated with fluctuations in self-reported pain intensity, depression, and pain catastrophization among adults with chronic pain who identify as avid football fans. Participants will complete weekly online surveys throughout the NFL regular season, reporting pain ratings (NPRS) and depressive symptoms (PHQ-2). Team performance (win/loss, played/did not play, rival results) will be recorded by the research team. The study seeks to determine whether sports-related emotional fluctuations correlate with changes in chronic pain experiences.

Conditions

Chronic Pain; Chronic Pain (Back / Neck)

Keywords

Chronic pain; Depression; Pain catastrophizing; Emotional states; Psychosocial factors; Sports fandom; Professional football (NFL); Pain intensity; Longitudinal observational study; Pain rating scale; PHQ-2; Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS)

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Pain Intensity (Numeric Pain Rating Scale - NPRS)

  Self-reported musculoskeletal pain intensity will be measured using the 0-10 Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), where 0 indicates "no pain" and 10 indicates "worst pain imaginable." Participants will report their average pain over the past week.

  Weekly assessments from study enrollment through the end of the NFL regular season (approximately September 2025 to January 2026).

• Depressive Symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-2 - PHQ-2)

  Depressive symptoms will be measured using the 2-item PHQ-2, assessing anhedonia and depressed mood. Each item is rated 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day), generating a score from 0-6.

  Weekly assessments from study enrollment through the end of the NFL regular season (approximately September 2025 to January 2026).

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Pain Catastrophizing (Pain Catastrophizing Scale - PCS)

  Weekly assessments from study enrollment through the end of the NFL regular season (approximately September 2025 to January 2026).

• Correlation Between Weekly Team Performance and Symptom Changes

  Weekly assessments from study enrollment through the end of the NFL regular season (approximately September 2025 to January 2026).

• Weekly Response Rate / Completion Rate

  Weekly assessments from study enrollment through the end of the NFL regular season (approximately September 2025 to January 2026).

Study Arms (1)

Cohort 1: Avid NFL Fans with Chronic Pain

Participants in this cohort are adults aged 18 or older who have experienced chronic pain for more than one year and meet predefined criteria for being avid fans of an active U.S. professional football (NFL) team. All participants will complete baseline demographic and clinical questionnaires and will provide weekly self-reported measures of pain intensity (NPRS) and depressive symptoms (PHQ-2) throughout the NFL regular season. Team performance variables (game played, win/loss outcome, rival results) will be collected by the research team. Study Activities: Baseline demographic and football-related fan profile questionnaire Baseline Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) Weekly NPRS and PHQ-2 surveys End-of-season PCS Research team documentation of weekly team performance and rival performance Purpose: To evaluate whether weekly NFL team performance is associated with fluctuations in pain intensity, depressive symptoms, and catastrophizing in individuals living with chronic pain

Other: No Intervention: Observational Cohort

Interventions

No Intervention: Observational Cohort OTHER

No Intervention: Observational Cohort

Cohort 1: Avid NFL Fans with Chronic Pain

Eligibility Criteria

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

Study Population

The study will include self-identified adults aged 18 and above who have experienced chronic pain (\>1 year) and meet the criteria for avid professional football fans.

You may qualify if:

• Age 18 and above
• Chronic pain \> 1 year
• Provide written consent
• Proficient in reading and understanding English
• Identify as an avid football fan of a current US professional football team (NFL). Criteria include:
• Watching all/most of their team's games during the season
• Watching games of their main competitor
• Engage in social media regarding their team during and outside of the season
• Wears team apparel during and outside of the season

You may not qualify if:

• Not willing to participate in the study
• Not willing to comply with weekly data collection requirements
• Do not meet the criteria for being classified as an avid football fan.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Evidence In Motion: lead
• St. Ambrose University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Evidence in Motion

Story City, Iowa, 50248, United States

Location

Related Publications (20)

• George SZ, Valencia C, Beneciuk JM. A psychometric investigation of fear-avoidance model measures in patients with chronic low back pain. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2010 Apr;40(4):197-205. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2010.3298.

  PMID: 20357418 BACKGROUND

• Moseley GL. Evidence for a direct relationship between cognitive and physical change during an education intervention in people with chronic low back pain. Eur J Pain. 2004 Feb;8(1):39-45. doi: 10.1016/S1090-3801(03)00063-6.

  PMID: 14690673 BACKGROUND

• Moseley GL, Nicholas MK, Hodges PW. A randomized controlled trial of intensive neurophysiology education in chronic low back pain. Clin J Pain. 2004 Sep-Oct;20(5):324-30. doi: 10.1097/00002508-200409000-00007.

  PMID: 15322439 BACKGROUND

• Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JB. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. J Gen Intern Med. 2001 Sep;16(9):606-13. doi: 10.1046/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x.

  PMID: 11556941 BACKGROUND

• Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JB. The Patient Health Questionnaire-2: validity of a two-item depression screener. Med Care. 2003 Nov;41(11):1284-92. doi: 10.1097/01.MLR.0000093487.78664.3C.

  PMID: 14583691 BACKGROUND

• Farrar JT, Young JP Jr, LaMoreaux L, Werth JL, Poole MR. Clinical importance of changes in chronic pain intensity measured on an 11-point numerical pain rating scale. Pain. 2001 Nov;94(2):149-158. doi: 10.1016/S0304-3959(01)00349-9.

  PMID: 11690728 BACKGROUND

• Salaffi F, Stancati A, Silvestri CA, Ciapetti A, Grassi W. Minimal clinically important changes in chronic musculoskeletal pain intensity measured on a numerical rating scale. Eur J Pain. 2004 Aug;8(4):283-91. doi: 10.1016/j.ejpain.2003.09.004.

  PMID: 15207508 BACKGROUND

• Wann DL. The "noble" sports fan: the relationships between team identification, self-esteem, and aggression. Percept Mot Skills. 1994 Jun;78(3 Pt 1):864-6. doi: 10.1177/003151259407800337.

  PMID: 8084705 BACKGROUND

• Jull G, Sterling M. Bring back the biopsychosocial model for neck pain disorders. Man Ther. 2009 Apr;14(2):117-8. doi: 10.1016/j.math.2009.01.004. No abstract available.

  PMID: 19218070 BACKGROUND

• Stewart M, Loftus S. Sticks and Stones: The Impact of Language in Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2018 Jul;48(7):519-522. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2018.0610.

  PMID: 30067920 BACKGROUND

• Sloan TJ, Walsh DA. Explanatory and diagnostic labels and perceived prognosis in chronic low back pain. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2010 Oct 1;35(21):E1120-5. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e3181e089a9.

  PMID: 20838269 BACKGROUND

• Brinjikji W, Luetmer PH, Comstock B, Bresnahan BW, Chen LE, Deyo RA, Halabi S, Turner JA, Avins AL, James K, Wald JT, Kallmes DF, Jarvik JG. Systematic literature review of imaging features of spinal degeneration in asymptomatic populations. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2015 Apr;36(4):811-6. doi: 10.3174/ajnr.A4173. Epub 2014 Nov 27.

  PMID: 25430861 BACKGROUND

• Nijs J, Roussel N, Paul van Wilgen C, Koke A, Smeets R. Thinking beyond muscles and joints: therapists' and patients' attitudes and beliefs regarding chronic musculoskeletal pain are key to applying effective treatment. Man Ther. 2013 Apr;18(2):96-102. doi: 10.1016/j.math.2012.11.001. Epub 2012 Dec 28.

  PMID: 23273516 BACKGROUND

• van Meulenbroek T, Huijnen IPJ, Simons LE, Conijn AEA, Engelbert RHH, Verbunt JA. Exploring the underlying mechanism of pain-related disability in hypermobile adolescents with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Scand J Pain. 2020 Aug 31;21(1):22-31. doi: 10.1515/sjpain-2020-0023. Print 2021 Jan 27.

  PMID: 32862151 BACKGROUND

• Vlaeyen JWS, Crombez G, Linton SJ. The fear-avoidance model of pain. Pain. 2016 Aug;157(8):1588-1589. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000574. No abstract available.

  PMID: 27428892 BACKGROUND

• Yang H, Lu ML, Haldeman S, Swanson N. Psychosocial risk factors for low back pain in US workers: Data from the 2002-2018 quality of work life survey. Am J Ind Med. 2023 Jan;66(1):41-53. doi: 10.1002/ajim.23444. Epub 2022 Nov 23.

  PMID: 36420950 BACKGROUND

• Zimney K, Van Bogaert W, Louw A. The Biology of Chronic Pain and Its Implications for Pain Neuroscience Education: State of the Art. J Clin Med. 2023 Jun 21;12(13):4199. doi: 10.3390/jcm12134199.

  PMID: 37445234 BACKGROUND

• Hashmi JA, Baliki MN, Huang L, Baria AT, Torbey S, Hermann KM, Schnitzer TJ, Apkarian AV. Shape shifting pain: chronification of back pain shifts brain representation from nociceptive to emotional circuits. Brain. 2013 Sep;136(Pt 9):2751-68. doi: 10.1093/brain/awt211.

  PMID: 23983029 BACKGROUND

• Vader K, Bostick GP, Carlesso LC, Hunter J, Mesaroli G, Perreault K, Tousignant-Laflamme Y, Tupper S, Walton DM, Wideman TH, Miller J. The Revised IASP Definition of Pain and Accompanying Notes: Considerations for the Physiotherapy Profession. Physiother Can. 2021 Spring;73(2):103-106. doi: 10.3138/ptc-2020-0124-gee. No abstract available.

  PMID: 34456418 BACKGROUND

• De Baets L, Matheve T, Meeus M, Struyf F, Timmermans A. The influence of cognitions, emotions and behavioral factors on treatment outcomes in musculoskeletal shoulder pain: a systematic review. Clin Rehabil. 2019 Jun;33(6):980-991. doi: 10.1177/0269215519831056. Epub 2019 Feb 22.

  PMID: 30791696 BACKGROUND

Related Links

• News N. Emotions in Soccer Fans' Brains: Exploring the Thrills and Agony. Neuroscience News

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Chronic Pain; Depression; Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Study Officials

• Adriaan Louw, PT, PhD

  Evidence In Motion

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Target Duration: 18 Weeks
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 11, 2026
• First Posted: May 13, 2026
• Study Start: July 18, 2025
• Primary Completion: January 9, 2026
• Study Completion: January 9, 2026
• Last Updated: May 13, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)