Can a virtual reality headset rewire how we feel back pain?
NCT ID NCT07742111
First seen Aug 03, 2026 · Last updated Aug 04, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study explores whether combining virtual reality with pain science education can help people with chronic low back pain. Adults with moderate pain (at least 4 on a 0-10 scale) will use a Meta Quest 3S headset and learn about pain mechanisms over three weeks, with several sessions per week. The goal is to see if this approach can reduce pain intensity and change how pain is processed. It's a small, early test, so the results will be preliminary.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Virtual reality (Meta Quest 3S) combined with pain neuroscience education
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a drug-free way to help people manage chronic low back pain and reduce its impact on daily life.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small early study (12 people), so results may not apply broadly. The effects of virtual reality on pain are not yet proven, and some people may not find it helpful or comfortable.
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 12 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2026
- Expected to finish
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Oct 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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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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Individuals with primary chronic low back pain aged ≥18 years, who present a moderate pain intensity (≥4 on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale) and a mild level of fear of movement. Exclusion Criteria: * have a diagnosis of spondylolisthesis or lumbar spinal stenosis; * are experiencing an exacerbation of low back pain symptoms at the time of screening; * present with constant and widespread nonspecific pain; * are in an active phase of rheumatoid arthritis; * have a progressive neurological disease; * are currently pregnant or within 6 months postpartum; * have a diagnosed psychiatric disorder; * have a malignant disease; * have serious cardiac conditions; * have contraindications to physical exercise in general;
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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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General Community
RECRUITINGAmarante, 4600, Portugal
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