Effect of Medication Optimization vs Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Among US Veterans With Chronic Low Back Pain Receiving Long-term Opioid Therapy: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Medication management and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are commonly used treatments for chronic low back pain (CLBP). However, little evidence is available comparing the effectiveness of these approaches.

Objective: To compare collaborative care medication optimization vs CBT on pain intensity, interference, and other pain-related outcomes.

The Pain Outcomes Comparing Yoga vs. Structured Exercise (POYSE) Trial in Veterans With Fibromyalgia: Study Design and Methods.

Background: Fibromyalgia is a common pain condition that often leads to significant disability. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of most medications for fibromyalgia is limited, and there is a need for alternative, non-pharmacological therapies. Yoga and aerobic exercise are both evidence-based non-pharmacological treatments for fibromyalgia.

Design and methods of the Care Management for the Effective Use of Opioids (CAMEO) trial.

Low back pain is the most common pain condition seen in primary care, with the most common treatment being analgesic medications, including opioids. A dramatic increase in opioid prescriptions for low back pain over the past few decades has led to increased non-medical use and opioid overdose deaths. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for chronic pain is an evidence-based non-pharmacological treatment for pain with demonstrated efficacy when delivered using collaborative care models.

Evaluation of Stepped Care for Chronic Pain (ESCAPE) in Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Conflicts: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Despite the prevalence and the functional, psychological, and economic impact of chronic pain, few intervention studies of treatment of chronic pain in veterans have been performed.

Objective: To determine whether a stepped-care intervention is more effective than usual care, as hypothesized, in reducing pain-related disability, pain interference, and pain severity.

Design, Setting, And Participants: We performed a randomized clinical trial comparing stepped care with usual care for chronic pain.

Pain experience of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans with comorbid chronic pain and posttraumatic stress.

Chronic pain and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) co-occur at high rates, and Veterans from recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may be particularly vulnerable to both conditions. The objective of this study was to identify key aspects of chronic pain, cognitions, and psychological distress associated with comorbid PTSD among this sample of Veterans. Baseline data were analyzed from a randomized controlled trial testing a stepped-care intervention for chronic musculoskeletal pain.

A qualitative study of chronic pain in Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans: "A burden on my soul".

Objectives: Over half of the veterans returning from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are burdened with chronic pain. Although these young veterans may have to live with pain for the rest of their lives, little is known about the struggles this new group of veterans faces, or their perceptions of support from family, friends, and others. The purpose of this study is to understand Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans' experiences with chronic pain and social support.

An expanded view of self-management: patients' perceptions of education and support in an intervention for chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Objectives: Chronic pain is prevalent, costly, and is associated with profound psychological effects. Although pain is prevalent in returning veterans of the recent military conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation New Dawn [OEF/OIF/OND] Veterans), little is known about chronic pain in these patients. This study's objective was to ascertain perceptions of a multicomponent intervention tested in a randomized controlled trial for OEF/OIF/OND veterans with chronic musculoskeletal pain (Evaluation of Stepped Care for Chronic Pain [ESCAPE]).

"There's more to this pain than just pain": how patients' understanding of pain evolved during a randomized controlled trial for chronic pain.

Unlabelled: Chronic pain is prevalent, is costly, and exerts an emotional toll on patients and providers. Little is known about chronic pain in veterans of the recent military conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq (OEF/OIF/OND [Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn] veterans). This study's objective was to ascertain veterans' perceptions of a multicomponent intervention tested in a randomized controlled trial for OEF/OIF/OND veterans with chronic musculoskeletal pain (ESCAPE: Evaluation of Stepped Care for Chronic Pain).

The patient-provider relationship in chronic pain care: providers' perspectives.

Background: Pain is the most commonly reported symptom in primary care and is a leading cause of disability. Primary care providers (PCPs) face numerous challenges in caring for patients with chronic pain including communication and relational difficulties.

Objective: The objective of the study was to elicit providers' perspectives on their experiences in caring for patients with chronic pain.