Pain clinical trials at UC Davis

5 in progress, 2 open to eligible people

Showing trials for

  • Imaging Metabolic and Perfusion Changes in Acupuncture Therapy for Myofascial Pain Syndrome

    “Volunteer for research and contribute to discoveries that may improve health care for you, your family, and your community!”

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    This study will evaluate the clinical and biological effects of acupuncture for chronic low back pain associated with myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). In this randomized, participant- and assessor-blinded clinical trial, 64 adults with chronic low back pain due to MPS will be assigned to receive either true acupuncture or sham acupuncture for eight weeks. Participants will undergo total-body positron emission tomography/computed tomography (TB-PET/CT) imaging and complete standardized pain and functional questionnaires at baseline and after treatment. The study will evaluate whether acupuncture improves pain and function compared with sham treatment and whether TB-PET/CT imaging can detect changes in myofascial tissue metabolism and perfusion that correspond with clinical outcomes.

    Sacramento, California

  • Magnesium Infusion for Pain Management in Critically Ill Trauma Patients

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    Magnesium is a naturally occurring mineral that is important for your body and brain. Magnesium sulfate (study drug) is a medication containing magnesium that is commonly used to improve low blood levels of magnesium. Magnesium sulfate has also proven to be successful in managing pain before and after surgery. However, this drug has primarily been used for pain control in patients undergoing surgery. Patients in the ICU with injuries also need good pain control. Using magnesium may assist in decreasing narcotic (pain reliever) requirements and provide another non-narcotic drug for pain control. The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of continuous, intravenous (into or within a vein using a needle) administration of magnesium sulfate for pain control in trauma patients admitted to the adult Intensive Care Unit. This will be compared to intravenous normal saline (salt solution).

    Sacramento, California

  • Morphine or Ketamine for Analgesia

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    Pain is common in children presenting to the emergency department but is frequently undertreated, leading to both short- and long-term consequences. Morphine is the standard treatment for children with moderate to severe acute pain, but its use is associated with serious side effects and caregiver and clinician concerns related to opioid administration. The investigators aim to determine if sub-dissociative ketamine is non-inferior to morphine for treating acute pain and a preferable alternative for treating acute pain in children because of its more favorable side effect profile and potential long-term benefits related to pain-related function, analgesic use/misuse, and mental and behavioral health outcomes.

    Sacramento, California and other locations

  • Rexlemestrocel-L Combined With HA* in Participants With Moderate to Severe Chronic Low Back Pain

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of rexlemestrocel-L+HA compared to control in reducing low back pain at 12 months post-treatment and safety of a single injection of rexlemestrocel-L+HA injected into a lumbar intervertebral disc compared to control through 12 months post-treatment.

    Sacramento, California and other locations

  • Virtual Reality (VR) Audiovisual Distraction to Reduce Pain and Anxiety for Prone Pain Procedures

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    This study evaluates whether virtual reality (VR) audiovisual distraction can reduce pain, anxiety, and the need for pain and anxiety medications during prone pain procedures, compared to standard care alone. The trial design is a two-arm, parallel assignment, randomized controlled trial at a single site, the UC Davis Pain Medicine Clinic. Patients will be randomized in a 1:1 allocation to the intervention (commercially available virtual reality headset (Meta Quest 3) with audiovisual calming nature scene and an ergonomic cushion/support) vs control (standard medical care). The primary outcome will be a composite outcome analyzed using the Win Ratio method comparing opioid/sedative medication use, intra-procedural pain scores, and intra-procedural anxiety scores between groups. Approximately 230 people at UC Davis are expected to participate (Up to 20 patients for the preliminary run-in period to acclimatize research and clinical staff and 210 total for the randomized clinical trial). Each participant's involvement consists of one visit, estimated at 30 minutes.

    Sacramento, California

Our lead scientists for Pain research studies include .

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