UF Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence

A psychologically based approach known as pain reprocessing therapy or PRT reduced chronic back pain (CBP) more than placebo or usual care – and the relief persisted 5 years after the original therapy was received, according to a new follow-up study.

Pain Reprocessing Therapy Yields Long-Term Back Pain Relief Some study participants reported full recovery from their back pain after PRT sessions, which are based in CBT techniques.

Can a placebo you know is a placebo help with pain when combined with mindfulness?

A new study involving researchers from across the nation including Roger Fillingim, is exploring whether pairing mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) with an open-label placebo (OLP), a placebo taken without any deception, can better relieve chronic pain compared to either treatment alone.

This first step is all about seeing if the study approach works smoothly, so researchers can move on to a bigger trial. If successful, it could open up new, non-opioid ways to manage chronic pain!

Learn more about the pilot and feasibility study, "Combining mindfulness intervention and open-label placebo treatment for chronic pain: a protocol for a feasibility study" here!

https://pilotfeasibilitystudies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40814-025-01692-8

A new study examined how well older adults remember their levels of pain, mood, and fatigue compared to real-time reports collected throughout the day.

Researchers at UF, including Yenisel Cruz-Almeida recorded 26 participants who used a smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment to record their pain, mood and fatigue three times a day for two weeks. On the 15th day, they recalled their average levels.

Findings showed that greater fluctuations in pain intensity led to less accurate recall, even when accounting for peak and end pain levels and number of painful areas. Interestingly, this effect did not apply to mood or fatigue, suggesting that memory distortions are particularly linked to pain variability.

Learn more in the article, "Real-time and recollected ratings of pain, mood, and fatigue in older adults" which is available in PAIN Reports!

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12369766/

Every fourth Wednesday of each month, we cover new and emerging studies and breakthroughs in pain research. Take part in an open forum conducted by peers and experts in the field!

This month, Dr. Muhammad Abbas will discuss the article, GDF15 enhances proliferation of aged chondrocytes by phosphorylating SMAD2" which explores how GDF15, a protein in the TGF-β signaling pathway, affects the growth of cartilage cells (chondrocytes) in aging, which is important for osteoarthritis development.

Follow the link to attend our event as well as learn more about upcoming opportunities to network and learn within the world of pain research!

https://ctsi-price-a2.sites.medinfo.ufl.edu/2025/08/22/pain-and-aging-journal-club-august-2025-2/

Researchers at UF including Carlos Cruz, Folly Patterson and Kyle Allen wanted to discover if having high blood pressure (hypertension) makes osteoarthritis (OA) worse and whether this effect differs between males and females. To do this, they studied rats with and without hypertension who also had surgically induced knee OA.

During the study, it was found that when hypertension and osteoarthritis occurred together, joint damage was more severe. Female rats developed bigger bone spurs, more changes in the blood vessels around the joint, and even started limping with shorter steps. Interestingly, males didn’t show the same level of problems.

This research shows how conditions like hypertension and arthritis can interact in surprising ways and why it’s important to look at s*x differences when studying joint health!

The article, "Comorbid Hypertension and Osteoarthritis Exacerbates Joint Remodeling and Gait Compensations in Female Rats with Milder Effects Observed in Males" has been published in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open!

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665913125000858

Your mindset might be doing more than just shaping your mood, it could also be affecting how your body ages and how much pain you feel!

In a new study led by Khalid Freij; Burel Goodin, alongside researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, found that optimism was linked to less depression and slower aging, which in turn related to lower pain severity. Pessimism had the opposite effect!

The article, "Serial Mediation: How Optimism Reduces and Pessimism Intensifies Chronic Low Back Pain Through Depression and Biological Aging" has been published in Biological Research for Nursing!

https://profiles.wustl.edu/en/publications/serial-mediation-how-optimism-reduces-and-pessimism-intensifies-c

Older adults are turning to medical ma*****na more than ever, especially for chronic pain. However, there’s still a big gap in understanding its real benefits and risks. That’s where the SMILE study comes in!

This 12-month project, headed by Yan Wang, will follow 440 adults aged 50+ with chronic pain to track how it affects pain, physical function, emotional well-being, cognition, and quality of life. Researchers will collect data on this diverse group of individuals, consisting of some who use medical ma*****na and others who don't.

By the end, SMILE aims to give doctors, patients, and policymakers real-world evidence on whether medical ma*****na truly helps older adults in both short and long term as well as how to personalize its use for better outcomes.

Learn more about SMILE in, "Real-Time and Long-Term Effects of Medical Ma*****na on Older Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study"

https://msesiom.demo.elsevierpure.com/en/projects/real-time-and-long-term-effects-of-medical-ma*****na-on-older-adu-2

As well as at the project website!

https://smile.phhp.ufl.edu/

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Black communities are historically and currently disadvantaged by chronic pain and subsequently experience more profound physical and psychological disability.

Join the My Pain Matters Lab Saturday, September 6th from 10:30am to 1:30pm to learn more about care options as well as management skills and strategies at the inaugural Power Over Pain Jubilee!

AI is changing how dental students learn, and Florida is leading the way » College of Dentistry » University of Florida Discover how UF's College of Dentistry uses AI to elevate education and improve clinical practice, preparing students for advanced patient care.

Personalizing opioid prescriptions based on genetic testing and awareness of drug interactions might lead to better pain control and fewer emergency visits.

Researchers including Noor Nahid, Caitrin McDonough and Roger Fillingim found this out by looking at over 31,000 adults who were prescribed opioids that need to be processed by a specific liver enzyme called CYP2D6 (which helps turn these drugs into their active, pain-relieving forms). Some people naturally have lower CYP2D6 activity due to their genes, and others can have it reduced by certain medications.

The study found that individuals with reduced activity of a liver enzyme called CYP2D6 (thanks to genetics or other meds) had more ER visits for pain even while on opioids.

Find out more in the article, "CYP2D6 Phenotypes and Emergency Department Visits Among Patients Receiving Opioid Treatment" which has been published in JAMA Network Open!

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2836885