Words matter: can positive talk ease epidural pain?
NCT ID NCT04497220
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether using positive language during epidural placement can lower pain scores compared to negative phrasing. Thirty pregnant women receiving their first epidural will be randomly assigned to hear either a positive or negative script. The goal is to see if the way doctors describe the procedure affects how much pain patients feel.
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 it works, this could show that simple changes in how doctors talk can reduce pain during procedures.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early-stage study with only 30 participants, so results may not apply widely. The effect of words on pain is hard to measure reliably.
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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Jul 2021
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
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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18 years and older
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: * pregnancy * requesting an epidural for the first time Exclusion Criteria: * previous epidural (either for labor or for surgery) * BMI greater than 40 kg/m\^2 * previous lumbar spine surgery * inability to speak English * a history of chronic pain or are on chronic opioids * a history of opioid drug abuse
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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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University of Minnesota
RECRUITINGMinneapolis, Minnesota, 55455, United States
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