Spinal Cord Injury, Acute clinical trials

Hypnotic Cognitive Therapy Reduce Acute & Chronic SCI Pain in Inpatient Rehabilitation

Chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) pain is complex and difficult to treat. For individuals with SCI, pain often begins early in the course of their SCI and continues longitudinally. Unfortunately, SCI-related pain is frequently not responsive to medical treatment and medical treatments that are available and commonly used, such as opioids, have negative side-effects and risk of addiction. Nonpharmacological (non-medication) interventions to reduce chronic pain show promise both for individuals with SCI as well as other chronic pain conditions. Research on psychological interventions for chronic pain over the past two decades has consistently found these interventions to be more effective than no treatment, standard care, pain education, or relaxation training alone. However, many of these interventions are designed and implemented in outpatient settings after chronic pain has already developed. The development of early, effective, and preventative interventions to reduce the development of chronic pain has the potential to vastly improve quality of life for individuals with SCI. Having demonstrated the feasibility and acceptance of this treatment in an earlier study, the purpose of this randomized clinical trial is to compare the treatment of Hypnosis Enhanced Cognitive (HYPCT) therapy to Pain Education (ED) for reducing acute and chronic pain for individuals with new spinal cord injuries. The main goals of the study are to: - Aim 1: Test the effectiveness of HYPCT during inpatient rehabilitation for SCI compared to a ED for reducing current pain intensity. - Aim 2: Determine the post-intervention impact of HYPCT sessions compared to ED on average pain intensity. Participants will be asked to: - Complete 4 surveys over seven months - Complete pre and post treatment pain assessments for each of 4 treatment/control sessions Participants will be assigned to one of two groups for treatment and receive either: - 4 Hypnotic Cognitive therapy sessions or - 4 Pain Education sessions