Progressive resistance exercise to reduce pain in people with multiple sclerosis
EXpain - Is Exercise an Effective Non-pharmacological Analgesic Treatment in People With Multiple Sclerosis?
This program will test whether 12 weeks of progressive resistance exercise can reduce chronic neuropathic pain in adults with multiple sclerosis.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 116 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of Aarhus Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Aarhus, Denmark) |
| Trial ID | NCT07342777 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This randomized controlled trial will enroll adults with MS and average pain >3/10 and randomly assign them to a 12-week progressive resistance exercise intervention or a 24-week waitlist control with usual care, with a 12-week follow-up after the intervention. The primary outcome is clinically meaningful reduction in pain severity, and secondary outcomes include preservation of pain relief at follow-up and differences by pain type and biopsychosocial factors. Embedded substudies will examine cross-sectional links between pain and activity, acute analgesic responses to single exercise bouts, and biomarker correlates. Baseline testing, supervised exercise sessions, and outcome assessments are conducted at university sites in Denmark.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults (≥18) with a confirmed MS diagnosis, average pain >3/10, ability to self-transport to the site, and no recent participation in structured exercise are the intended participants.
Not a fit: People who are pregnant, have diabetes or other comorbidities that prevent safe exercise, recent MS relapse, are classified as high cardiovascular risk, or already do structured exercise regularly are unlikely to benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the exercise program could provide a non-drug option to lower chronic pain and improve daily function for people with MS.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies suggest exercise can reduce pain and improve function in MS and chronic pain groups, but high-quality randomized trials specifically testing progressive resistance training for MS-related neuropathic pain are still limited.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: Average pain levels of \>3 on the Numerical Rating Scale from 0-10 (NRS0-10), age ≥ 18 years, a valid MS diagnosis (ICD-10 code: G35), ability to self-transport to test and exercise. Exclusion Criteria: Pregnancy, Diabetes, neurological or other comorbidities that hinder participation in the study, relapse within the past 2 months, classified as high cardiovascular risk according to the American College of Sports Medicine´s guidelines, and participation in structured exercise over the past 3 months (≥ 2 sessions/week).
Where this trial is running
Aarhus, Denmark
- Aarhus University — Aarhus, Denmark, Denmark (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Rasmus C Jungersen, PhD-student
- Email: rasjun@ph.au.dk
- Phone: +4593508304
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.