Remotely Delivered Nonpharmacologic Treatments of Chronic Pain - Insights from Embedded Pragmatic Clinical Trials - Symposium

Sep 28, 2026

Advancing age increases chronic pain burden, lowering functioning and quality of life while raising healthcare costs. Limited efficacy and higher adverse-effect risk from analgesic medications motivate guideline-recommended nonpharmacologic approaches, yet access and uptake remain constrained, especially for rural and minoritized populations. This symposium reports results from four NIH-funded pragmatic clinical trials evaluating remotely delivered nonpharmacologic treatments, including tai chi, telehealth nurse care management, mindfulness for chronic low back pain, and age-difference analyses among Veterans, with recommendations for future embedded trials.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Remotely delivered nonpharmacologic treatments for chronic pain

NIH-funded embedded pragmatic clinical trials

Symposium session structure and presenters

620 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 nonpharmacologic treatments remain limited, particularly among rural-dwelling and minoritized populations. In the proposed symposium, we will report findings from 4 NIH-funded pragmatic clinical trials that are evaluating the implementation and effectiveness of remotely delivered nonpharmacologic treatments for chronic pain among middle-aged and older adults in health systems across the United States. First, Eric Roseen will present key challenges and solutions to implementing remotely delivered tai chi for knee osteoarthritis in 4 health systems in 4 geographic regions. Second, Elise Hoffman will present the adaptation and implementation of a telehealth delivered nurse care management program, involving care coordination, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and tele-exercise for rural primary care patients who have chronic pain. Third, Natalia Morone will present findings from a telehealth delivered, group-based mindfulness intervention in primary care patients with chronic low back pain. Fourth, Kushang Patel will report on age differences in the effects of remotely delivered self-paced and group-based mindfulness interventions (versus usual care) among Veterans who have chronic pain. Lastly, Cary Reid will deliver a critical discussion of the research findings and provide recommendations for future embedded pragmatic clinical trials, highlighting special considerations for improving pain management in older primary care patients. SESSION 4535 (SYMPOSIUM) Abstract citation ID: igaf122.2123 REMOTELY DELIVERED NONPHARMACOLOGIC TREATMENTS OF CHRONIC PAIN: INSIGHTS FROM EMBEDDED PRAGMATIC CLINICAL TRIALS Chair: Kushang Patel Discussant: M. Carrington Reid Chronic pain increases with advancing age and contributes to decreased functioning, reduced quality of life, and high healthcare costs. Given the limited efficacy of analgesic medications and greater risk of adverse effects with advancing age, clinical practice guidelines recommend nonpharmacologic treatments. While evidence for nonpharmacologic pain treatmentsin older adults is accumulating, access to and uptake of

FAQs

Why do nonpharmacologic treatments matter for chronic pain in older adults?

Chronic pain worsens with age and contributes to reduced functioning, lower quality of life, and higher costs. Analgesic medications have limited efficacy and greater adverse-effect risk with advancing age, so guidelines recommend nonpharmacologic options.

What kinds of remotely delivered interventions are studied in these pragmatic trials?

The symposium covers remotely delivered tai chi for knee osteoarthritis, telehealth nurse care management that includes care coordination, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and tele-exercise, and group-based mindfulness for chronic low back pain.

How do the trials address implementation issues and differences across patient groups?

The discussion includes key challenges and solutions for implementing remotely delivered tai chi across multiple health systems. Findings also consider age differences in the effects of self-paced versus group-based mindfulness interventions among Veterans, and provide recommendations for future embedded pragmatic trials.

Sep 28, 2026

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