Reflex test may help predict pain procedure success
NCT ID NCT02774694
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This observational study is testing whether measuring the nociceptive flexion reflex (a spinal reflex) can predict which patients with chronic back or neck pain will get significant pain relief from interventional procedures like epidural injections or nerve blocks. Researchers will measure the reflex threshold using a device called Paintracker and compare it to pain reduction at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months. The study aims to improve patient selection for these common but variably effective treatments.
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 help doctors identify which patients are most likely to get pain relief from injections or nerve blocks, making treatment more personalized.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. The reflex test may not accurately predict outcomes, and the study is currently suspended, so results may be delayed or never completed.
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
-
About 350 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
-
Jun 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
-
Sep 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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.
Who is studied
Included will be patients treated by the interventional pain management team of the department of anaesthesiology of the Geneva University Hospitals HUG
- 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 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: * patients with chronic low back or neck pain (duration \>3 months) * scheduled for the following interventions: epidural injection, facet block, medial branch block, facet radiofrequency denervation, spinal cord stimulator implantation Exclusion Criteria: * inability to understand the patient information or the study questionnaires * patients \<18 years old * patients with implanted pacemakers or defibrillators
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Chronic pain are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
-
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
-
Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève
Geneva, 1205, Switzerland
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Pilates takes on standard physical therapy in battle against Work-Related back pain
- One 2-Hour class may help new mothers manage Post-Cesarean pain
- Zapping deep brain regions to quiet chronic back pain
- Herbal injections at acupuncture points tested against physical therapy for Long-Lasting sciatica
- Can difficulty naming emotions shape how much tailbone pain you feel?
- Radiofrequency device tested as Add-On for stubborn back pain