New Treatments & Clinical Trials for Chronic Pain

Chronic pain affects about one in five adults in the U.S. and includes conditions like back pain, arthritis, nerve damage, fibromyalgia, and migraine. Treatment typically combines medications like NSAIDs or gabapentin, physical therapy, and behavioral approaches, but many people continue to have significant pain.

What's actually going on in research

Trials are testing nerve-targeted drugs that block specific pain signals, non-opioid medications with different mechanisms, neuromodulation devices that use electrical or magnetic stimulation, and behavioral interventions including digital pain management programs. Research is also studying how the brain processes chronic pain and why some people develop it after injury while others don't.

What to know before you search

Eligibility typically depends on pain duration (usually three months or longer), pain severity scores, specific diagnosis, and what treatments you've already tried.

What types of trials are currently open

• Medication trials — Testing new pain medications, often comparing them to standard treatments like gabapentin or duloxetine. May focus on specific pain types like neuropathic pain or fibromyalgia.
• Device trials — Testing neuromodulation devices, TENS units, or other technologies that deliver electrical stimulation or other physical treatments.
• Behavioral intervention trials — Testing therapy approaches including cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, or mindfulness-based programs, often delivered digitally.
• Combination trials — Testing whether combining treatments—such as medication plus physical therapy or neuromodulation plus behavioral therapy—works better than single approaches.
• Mechanistic studies — Using brain imaging or other tests to understand how chronic pain develops and why treatments work for some people but not others.