Can learning about pain change how your body reacts to it?

NCT ID NCT06400329

Completed Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Lisa Carlesso Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tested two ways of teaching older adults with knee osteoarthritis about their pain. One group learned about the biology of pain and how to manage it, while the other received standard information about joint damage. Researchers measured whether the type of education affected the body's stress response and pain sensitivity. The goal was to see if this kind of study is even possible to run on a larger scale.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) and Standard Pain Education
What this could lead to: If successful, this could show that teaching people about the science of pain helps their nervous system respond better, pointing toward better non-drug approaches for chronic pain.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early feasibility study with only 37 participants, so results may not apply broadly. It measures short-term physiological changes, not long-term pain relief.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Chronic Pain chronic pain syndrome osteoarthritis osteoarthritis, knee

As listed by the trial registrant

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

CHRONIC PAIN OSTEOARTHRITIS

Contacts and locations

Locations

McMaster University

Hamilton, Ontario, L8S1C7, Canada

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