Military Looking for a nondrug solution
SEPTEMBER 22, 2017
Federal Agencies Join Forces to Improve Military, Veteran Pain Management Research
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are launching an ambitious, multifaceted research project focusing on nondrug treatments for pain management for military service members and veterans.
Twelve research projects, totaling approximately $81 million over six years, aim to develop, implement and test cost-effective, large-scale, real-world research on nondrug therapies for pain management in military and veteran health care organizations.
Types of approaches being studied include mindfulness/meditative interventions, movement interventions (e.g., structured exercise, tai chi, yoga), manual therapies (e.g., spinal manipulation, massage, acupuncture), psychological and behavioral interventions (e.g., cognitive-behavioral therapy), integrative approaches that involve more than one intervention and integrated models of multimodal care.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is contributing more than half of the total funding for this multiagency initiative, called the NIH-DoD-VA Pain Management Collaboratory.
“Pain is the most common medical condition requiring treatment for military personnel,” said George Ludwig, PhD, principal assistant for research and technology, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (AMRMC). “Current drug treatments have limited efficacy and are often associated with severe adverse events, significant cognitive and physiological side effects, and pose a significant risk of abuse, misuse, addiction, tolerance and diversion.”
Seven of the 12 projects have been awarded by HHS/NIH. (The remaining five will be announced by the DoD and VA in the coming months.)
Robert Kerns, PhD, Yale University, New Haven, Conn., will establish the Pain Management Collaboratory Coordinating Center. It will provide national leadership and serve as a national resource for development and refinement of innovative tools, best practices and other resources in the conduct of high-impact pragmatic clinical trials. Julie Fritz, PhD, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, will research a stepped care approach for the treatment of low-back pain.
Karen Seal, MD, Northern California Institute for Research and Education, San Francisco, will implement a new whole-health model for chronic pain care, emphasizing nondrug pain self-management that reduces pain symptoms and improves overall functioning and quality of life in veterans.
Alicia Heapy, PhD, Yale University, will conduct a trial to examine the real-world effectiveness of an interactive voice response–based form of cognitive-behavioral therapy for chronic pain.
Christine Goertz, DC, PhD, Palmer College of Chiropractic, Davenport, Iowa, will develop and implement a randomized trial that examines the effects of different doses and maintenance of chiropractic care for low back pain.
Steven George, PhD, Duke University, Durham, N.C., will look to improve access to recommended nondrug therapies for low back pain in the Department of VA Health Care System.
Marc Rosen, MD, Yale University, will test the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of screenings, brief interventions and referral to treatment for pain management.
Based on a press release from the HHS.
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