Painting away pain: art therapy trial for seniors with back pain
NCT ID NCT07141082
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot study tests whether combining group art therapy with exercise can help older adults (60+) who have had low back pain for at least three months. The study will enroll 30 participants to see if the program is feasible and acceptable, and to gather early signs of whether it might reduce pain and improve function. The goal is to explore a creative, non-drug option for managing chronic pain in seniors.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Art therapy combined with exercise
- What this could lead to
- If this approach works, it could offer a low-risk, non-drug way to help older adults manage chronic low back pain and improve their well-being.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study (30 people) focused on feasibility, not proof of effectiveness. The results may not apply to everyone, and the therapy may not reduce pain significantly.
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
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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
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About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Aug 2025
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
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.
- Ages
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60 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: * aged 60 years and above * currently experiencing non-specific low back pain for at least three months * who have sought medical treatment for CLBP * can read and write in Traditional Chinese * MoCA-5 of 18 or above Exclusion Criteria: * malignant pain * lumbar spinal stenosis * confirmed dementia * severe cognitive impairment * serious major medical or psychiatric disorders * currently receiving physiotherapy, cognitive therapy, or psychological treatments
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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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Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
RECRUITINGHong Kong, Hong Kong
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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