STUDY OVERVIEW
Chronic pain affects most adults with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Medications for pain often don’t provide enough relief and can have adverse side effects. Although self-management interventions for pain are effective, few people access them. Self-management for pain means learning and using skills to help reduce the impact of pain on your daily life. It includes techniques like relaxation, gentle movement, changing unhelpful thoughts, breathing exercises, and mindfulness meditation to reduce pain and its negative effects, including stress. Research has shown that these strategies can help people feel more in control, improve their mood and sleep, and stay active and engaged in the things that matter most to them. They have been shown to work for people with MS in general, but they have not been adapted for the specific needs or preferences of people with progressive MS or tested widely in this group.
This study utilizes the My MSToolkit and Telehealth Intervention for Pain Self-management in Progressive MS (TIPS-ProMS) program, both developed with assistance from our Community Advisory Board.
We will recruit 489 adults with progressive MS and chronic pain for a randomized controlled trial comparing three types of pain self-management interventions.
THIS STUDY IS NOT YET RECRUITING.
WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO?
- Participants will be randomly assigned to either the TIPS-ProMS, Self-Guided My MSToolkit, Coached My MSToolkit or no treatment group.
- Over 4 months, the My MSToolkit group will have access to the online tool and will be instructed to explore all aspects of the program.
- Those in the usual care group will be offered the opportunity to choose the intervention they’d like to receive after completing their final survey.
- Complete four online surveys.
- Up to $170 total compensation provided.
TO BE ELIGIBLE ONE MUST
- be 18 years of age or older
- have a diagnosis of progressive MS
- experience chronic pain
- be able to read and speak English
- not be participating in another clinical trial
CONTACT
For more information, contact study staff at easems@uw.edu or (206) 598-0501.
STUDY INFORMATION
Dawn Ehde, PhD is the lead investigator of this study. This study is being done incollaboration with Anna Kratz, PhD at the University of Michigan.
IRB Study ID: STUDY00024633 Date approved: 01/28/2026
