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Can a virtual ocean soothe chronic pain? a new trial dives in

NCT ID NCT06936059

Symptom relief Sponsor: Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Aug 19, 2026 · Last updated Aug 20, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests whether a 15-minute mixed reality session, featuring underwater scenes and guided relaxation, can reduce pain intensity in adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Participants are randomly assigned to either the active therapy or a sham control, both delivered via the same headset, for three daily sessions. Pain levels are measured before and after each session to see if this digital approach offers a meaningful, drug-free way to ease discomfort.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Mixed reality-based analgesic therapy (PK-MPT) delivered via a headset, featuring 360-degree underwater scenes and guided relaxation.
What this could lead to
If effective, this could offer a drug-free, non-invasive option to help manage chronic musculoskeletal pain, potentially reducing reliance on pain medications.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage trial with only 80 participants and short-term follow-up. The effect may be modest or not lasting, and individual responses can vary.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

80 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jul 2024

Finished

Nov 2024

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Males and females ≥18 years old. * Average pain intensity≥4 on a 0-10 numerical rating scale (NRS) in the past 24 hours. * Be able to communicate in Chinese. * Be able to read and write Chinese. * Willing to comply with study procedures and restrictions. * Willing and able to sign informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Shingles on the eyes, ears, head, face, or hands. * Trigeminal neuralgia. * Severe vision impairment. (Patients with clear vision wearing glasses or contact lenses are allowed) * Severe hearing impairment. * Disease or medical condition predisposing to nausea or dizziness, such as insufficient blood supply to the brain, vestibular dysfunction,cholecystitis, etc. * History of severe motion sickness. * Injury to eyes, ears, face, or neck that impedes comfortable use of mixed reality. * Injury or dysfunction of hands or upper limbs that impedes comfortable use of mixed reality. * Diagnosis of cognitive impairment, epilepsy, dementia, migraines or other neurological diseases that may prevent the use of mixed reality. * History of mental illness, including depression, generalized anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, etc. * Females currently pregnant. * Current or completion of participation within 4 weeks before screening in any interventional clinical study * Patients whom the investigator considers not suitable to participate in this study.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

anxiety disorder Chronic Pain chronic pain syndrome Consciousness Disorders Pain

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Chronic pain

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Xinhua hospital ,Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of medicine

    Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 20000, China

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