Yoga or therapy? new study tests which eases Veterans' chronic pain best
NCT ID NCT06704061
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study compares two online programs—yoga and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)—to see which better helps veterans manage long-term muscle and bone pain. About 274 veterans with chronic pain for over 6 months will participate. The goal is to find which approach reduces pain's impact on daily life.
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 274 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2026
- Expected to finish
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Nov 2029
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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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: * Veteran of the United States Armed Forces ≥ 18 years old * Chronic pain \> 6 months related to at least one musculoskeletal pain-related diagnosis indicated by an ICD-9 or -10 code * Minimum pain intensity at screening ≥4 on a 0-10 using the Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS) * Not begun new pain treatments or medications in the past month * Stable medication regimen for at least 4 weeks prior to entry to the study * English literacy * Internet connection at home Exclusion Criteria: * Participation in another clinical trial, unless given prior authorization from both our research team and that of the other study * Back surgery within the last 12 months * Back pain potentially attributed to a specific known condition * Baseline pain \<4 or ≥9 on a 0-10 Numeric Rating Scale * Unstable, serious coexisting medical illness, mental illness or psychiatric conditions * Attended or practiced yoga ≥ 1 x in the past 12 months * Current suicidal intent or plan * Has received ACT in the past
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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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Palo Alto VA Medical Center
RECRUITINGPalo Alto, California, 94304, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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