New screening tool aims to stop Long-Term pain before it starts
NCT ID NCT07603674
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study is testing a screening tool called Start-MSK that helps physiotherapists sort people with muscle or joint pain into low, medium, or high risk for long-term problems. Researchers will follow 300 adults for 6 months to see if the tool can predict who will recover well and who might need extra help. The goal is to make care more personalized and prevent chronic pain.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to a simple screening tool that helps physiotherapists quickly identify which patients need more intensive care, potentially preventing long-term pain and disability.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. The tool is being tested for its ability to predict outcomes, but it may not improve care on its own. Results are based on patient reports and may not apply to all settings.
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.
- Participants
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About 300 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Apr 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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.
Who is studied
People, more than 18 years, with musculoskeletal pain seeking physiotherapist in primary care.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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: * adults with musculoskeletal pain (neck, back, shoulder, hip, knee, multisite pain) * recruited from primary care, aged 18 and above Exclusion Criteria: * malignant and inflammatory diseases * inability to understand spoken and written Swedish
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Karolinska Institutet
RECRUITINGStockholm, Sweden
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