Motor imagery to improve function in adults with chronic low back pain
Impact of Motor Imagery in the Functional Rehabilitation of Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: a Randomised Controlled Trial
This study tests whether guided motor imagery sessions can help adults with chronic non-specific low back pain reduce fear of movement and improve daily function.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 72 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Dijon) |
| Trial ID | NCT07111286 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This is a randomized controlled trial at CHU Dijon Bourgogne comparing repeated motor imagery task sessions to control cognitive task sessions as part of a multimodal rehabilitation pathway for chronic non-specific low back pain. Participants receive baseline and follow-up clinical assessments, ongoing motor imagery or cognitive tasks, and evaluations of satisfaction and tolerance. Primary outcomes focus on functional ability, kinesiophobia, and patient-reported pain and quality of life measures. The protocol excludes patients with major neurologic or orthopedic conditions, significant mobility-limiting comorbidities, planned lumbar surgery, or inability to consent.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults with chronic non-specific low back pain lasting more than six months who are eligible for a multimodal rehabilitation program and can give informed consent.
Not a fit: People with radicular pain with significant motor deficit, major non-spinal conditions that limit mobility, planned lumbar surgery within a year, pregnancy, or inability to consent are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, motor imagery could reduce fear-related avoidance and help patients regain daily and professional activities with less pain-related limitation.
How similar studies have performed: Motor imagery has shown promise in small studies for stroke and some chronic pain conditions, but evidence specifically for chronic low back pain is limited and mixed.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Adult patient * Person who has given their verbal consent * Suffering from chronic non-specific low back pain that has been ongoing for more than 6 months * Eligible for a multimodal rehabilitation programme according to the investigating physician Exclusion Criteria: * Persons not affiliated with or not covered by a social security scheme * Patients subject to legal protection measures (guardianship, curatorship) * Patients subject to judicial protection measures * Pregnant women, women in labour or breastfeeding women * Adults who are incapacitated or unable to give their consent * Patients with a history of repeated falls * Scheduled lumbar spine surgery in the coming year * Associated conditions other than spinal conditions (orthopaedic, neurological, vascular, cardiac, etc.) that could significantly impair mobility * Radicular involvement (sciatica or cruralgia) with motor deficit \< 3 in the lower limbs * Impaired comprehension skills making self-assessment impossible * Patients with poorly controlled epilepsy * Individuals who are not fluent in English * Patients who have already completed a multimodal rehabilitation programme in a specialised centre
Where this trial is running
Dijon
- CHU Dijon Bourgogne — Dijon, France (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Sophie BIZE
- Email: sophie.bize@chu-dijon.fr
- Phone: 03 80 29 57 38
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.