Chronic PainALGODANCENCT05689944
Dance-therapy and Chronic Pain
A study testing Dance-therapy, Art-therapy and Yoga in people with Chronic Pain and Complex Regional Pain Syndromes, run by Hospices Civils de Lyon at 1 site in France.
Trial summary
Pain, when it becomes chronic, can be a threat to patients and it is very common to observe a fear of pain and a fear of movement (kinesiophobia). Avoidance of movement due to fear of pain can lead to a deterioration of body image. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 12 to 20 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Chronic Pain, Complex Regional Pain Syndromes, Tension-Type Headache
- What is being tested?
- Dance-therapy, Art-therapy and Yoga
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 160 participants
- Where
- 1 siteFrance
- Study dates
- 1 Mar 2024to Oct 2030
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 12 to 20 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- Patients aged 12 to 20 years, girls or boys, with chronic pain.
- Diagnosis of chronic pain made in a Pain Management Center
- Patients followed in a Pain Management Center (to ensure that patients entering the protocol have pain that is not relieved by conventional treatments)
- Patients who have given written consent for adults or whose parents have given consent for minors
- Patients who are affiliated with or benefit from a social security system.
Who cannot join
- Patients with other neurological or psychological disorders
- Patients with psychiatric illnesses
- Patients with chronic infectious, metabolic, cancerous, autoimmune diseases.
- Non-communicating patients including deaf and hard of hearing patients
- Patients or parents who do not speak or read French
- Pregnant women
- Dance or yoga professionals (dance or yoga teachers or those studying to become teachers)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
France1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Neuroscience Research Center of Lyon (CRNL)- INSERM U1028 - NEUROPAIN laboratory
Bron, 69677
Maud FROT, INSERM Researcher, 04 72 35 78 88 ext. +33, maud.frot@univ-lyon1.fr
Caroline PERCHET, research engineer, 04 72 35 78 88 ext. +33, caroline.perchet@univ-lyon1.fr
About this study
Official title: Effect of Dance-therapy on Chronic Adolescent Pain Patients - a Randomized Controlled Trial Study
Pain, when it becomes chronic, can be a threat to patients and it is very common to observe a fear of pain and a fear of movement (kinesiophobia). Avoidance of movement due to fear of pain can lead to a deterioration of body image. Non-medicinal therapies are essential to correct this fear and movement avoidance behavior, to decrease "catastrophic" judgments and thus anxiety. The use of art-therapy in the accompaniment of patients with pain has shown, in particular, decreases in the intensity of pain, the level of anxiety, an improvement in stress, mood and overall psychological state. However, according to the current literature, it appears that 1) this technique is rarely used in children or adolescents, for whom non-medicinal therapies are fundamental, and 2) in the case of chronic pain, the form of art used is very rarely related to the body (most often painting, drawing, music...).
In this project, investigators propose to set up and test the potential benefit of art-therapy sessions related to the body, namely dance-therapy, in adolescents and young adults suffering from chronic pain.
- Being tested
- Dance-therapy, Art-therapy, Yoga
- Keywords
- Dance-therapy, Chronic pain, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Tension Type Headache, Adolescents
- Medical subject headings
- Chronic Pain, Complex Regional Pain Syndromes, Tension-Type Headache
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Dance-therapyBehavioural
This session will take place once a week between weeks 1 and 15 of the protocol.
- 5 mn of welcome and presentation of the upcoming session
- 5 mn of self-evaluation of the pain as well as of the thymia and the fatigue before the beginning of the session (Visual numerical scales: VNS)
- 15 mn of body warm-up with taught contemporary dance exercises
- 15 mn of creative research based on dance improvisation on a given theme
- 15 mn of sharing for the elaboration of a choreography
- At the end of the session, 5mn of self-evaluation of the pain, the thymia, the fatigue and the level of appreciation of the session (VNS).
After the session, the patient will be asked to think about the next session if he/she wishes (e.g. think of a choreography, remember what was done etc. ....) in order to encourage the commitment to care. These sessions will be based on contemporary dance and dance improvisation techniques.
Art-therapyBehavioural
This session will take place once a week between weeks 1 and 15 of the protocol.
- 5 mn of welcome and presentation of the upcoming session
- 5 mn of self-evaluation of the pain as well as of the thymia and the fatigue before the beginning of the session (Visual numerical scales: VNS)
- 10 mn of discovery of a new technique (acrylic painting or collage).
- 35 mn of practice in a project fixed beforehand
- At the end of the session, 5mn of self-evaluation of the pain, the thymia, the fatigue and the level of appreciation of the session (VNS).
After the session, the patient will be asked to think about the next session (e.g. collecting plants for collage....) in order to encourage commitment to the treatment. The sessions will be based on acrylic painting or collage techniques.
YogaBehavioural
This session will take place once a week between weeks 1 and 15 of the protocol.
- 5 mn welcome
- 5 mn of self-evaluation of the pain as well as of the thymia and the fatigue before the beginning of the session (Visual numerical scales: VNS)
- 50 mn of Vinyasa type yoga (warm-up, breathing, balance, strength and flexibility, relaxation)
- 5 mn of closing of the session
- At the end of the session, 5mn of self-evaluation of the pain thanks, the thymia, the fatigue and the level of appreciation of the session (VNS).
These sessions engage the body without entering into a therapy protocol turned towards art as in the two previous interventions.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Control group | No intervention | Patients in the control group will not participate in any art-therapy or yoga interventions. They will be asked to complete pain and sleep diaries, questionnaires and pain, fatigue and mood scales at the same times and for the same duration as the other groups. |
| Dance-therapy group | Experimental | Patients in the dance-therapy group will attend a weekly session of dance-therapy between weeks 1 and 15 of the protocol (15 sessions). They will be asked to complete daily pain and sleep diaries at weeks W0, W5, W16, W20 and W28 as well as questionnaires (kinesiophobia, anxiety, catastrophizing, fear of pain, quality of life, body image/self-perception). They will also be asked to assess their pain, fatigue and mood levels at the end of each week between W1 and W15. Receives: Behavioral: Dance-therapy |
| Art-therapy group | Experimental | Patients in the art-therapy group will attend a weekly session of art-therapy (drawings, collages…) between weeks 1 and 15 of the protocol (15 sessions). They will be asked to complete daily pain and sleep diaries at weeks W0, W5, W16, W20 and W28 as well as questionnaires (kinesiophobia, anxiety, catastrophizing, fear of pain, quality of life, body image/self-perception). They will also be asked to assess their pain, fatigue and mood levels at the end of each week between W1 and W15. Receives: Behavioral: Art-therapy |
| Yoga group | Experimental | Patients in the yoga group will attend a weekly session of Vinyasa yoga between weeks 1 and 15 of the protocol (15 sessions). They will be asked to complete daily pain and sleep diaries at weeks W0, W5, W16, W20 and W28 as well as questionnaires (kinesiophobia, anxiety, catastrophizing, fear of pain, quality of life, body image/self-perception). They will also be asked to assess their pain, fatigue and mood levels at the end of each week between W1 and W15. Receives: Behavioral: Yoga |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Assesment of pain change
Daily self-assessment on visual numerical scale of pain intensity upon awakening, at bedtime, and on average during the day. Each item is scored 0-10 (0= no pain; 10 = maximal pain). Reporting of the times during the day and night when the patient feels pain and its intensity.
Measured: Weeks 0, 5, 16, 20 and 28.
Secondary outcomes (10)
Kinesiophobia
Evaluation of the kinesiophobia index with the TAMPA scale: 13 items to be evaluated on a 4-point Likert-type scale between 1 (strongly disagree) and 4 (strongly agree). Scores between 13 and 52, a score of 30/52 being considered as a significant kinesiophobia.
Measured: Inclusion, weeks 5, 16, 20, 28.
Anxiety (adolescents)
Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED). 41 items to be evaluated on a 3-point Likert-type scale between 0 ('not true' or 'almost never true') and 2 ('very true' or 'often true'). A score greater than or equal to 25 may indicate the presence of an anxiety disorder.
Measured: Inclusion, weeks 5, 16, 20, 28
Anxiety (adults)
For adult patients: HAD scale. 14 items rated from 0 to 3. Seven items relate to anxiety and seven others to the depressive dimension. The highest scores correspond to the presence of a more severe symptomatology.
Measured: Inclusion, weeks 5, 16, 20, 28
Pain catastrophizing
Pain catastrophizing scale (PCS). 13 items to be evaluated on a 5-point Likert-type scale between 0 (never) to 4 (always). Scores between 0 and 52. A total PCS score of 30 represents clinically relevant level of catastrophizing.
Measured: Inclusion, weeks 5, 16, 20, 28.
Fear of Pain (adolescents)
Fear of Pain Questionnaire (FOPQ). 24 items to be evaluated on a 5-point Likert-type scale between 0 (Strongly disagree) and 4 (Strongly agree). Scores between 24 and 96. A total score between 51 and 96 represents a high fear of pain
Measured: Inclusion, weeks 5, 16, 20, 28.
Fear of Pain (adults)
For adults patients: FABQ questionnaire. 16 items evaluated on a 7-point Likert scale between 0 (strongly disagree) and 4 (strongly agree). The first 5 items test fear and beliefs about pain in relation to physical activity and the second part of the questionnaire (12 items) tests fear and beliefs about pain in relation to work.
Measured: Inclusion, weeks 5, 16, 20, 28.
Incidence of art therapy on quality of life (adolescents)
-VSP-A scale for adolescents. 40 items to be evaluated on a 5-point Likert-type scale between 0 (always) and 100 (never). This scale explores 6 areas (psychological well-being, energy/vitality, leisure activities, friendships, relationships with parents, school life). The scores are averaged and then transformed to obtain a rating between 0% and 100%. A total score below 50% is considered to reflect a low quality of life.
Measured: Inclusion, weeks 5, 16, 20, 28.
Incidence of art therapy on quality of life (adults)
-The McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire-revised version (MQOL-R) for the adults. 14 items to be evaluated on a 11-point Likert-type scale between 0 (not at all) and 10 (extremely). These items form 4 subscales (physical, psychological, existential, and social). The total MQOL-R score is the average of the scores on the 4 subscales.
Measured: Inclusion, weeks 5, 16, 20, 28.
Body satisfaction and global self-perception
QSCPGS questionnaire. 20 items. The QSCPGS is divided into two parts. Each part consists of a series of 10 items. The first set is designed to define how the individual perceives his or her body and the second seeks to highlight the feelings of himself in a more global way. Each item is composed of a positive term (good health, pure, calm. . .) and its opposite (bad health, impure, nervous. . .); these two expressions are opposed by a series of numbers from 1 to 5 presented in mirror and separated in their center by the 0; the 1 corresponds to the answer "very little" and 5: "very strong".
Measured: Inclusion, weeks 5, 16, 20, 28.
Incidence of art therapy on sleep quality
Daily measurement of sleep quality, wake quality and average day energy (5-point Likert-type scale between 'very good' and 'very bad'). Filling out a sleep diary with the daily bedtime and wake-up times for one week.
Measured: Weeks 0, 5, 16, 20 and 28.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted19 Jan 2023
- Study start1 Mar 2024
- Primary completionOct 2030 (estimated)
- Study completionOct 2030 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Chronic PainStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Hospices Civils de LyonThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 160 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Hospices Civils de Lyon
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05689944
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 69HCL22_0361
- Acronym
- ALGODANCE
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 1 Dec 2022
- Last updated
- 18 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 18 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effect of Dance-therapy on Chronic Adolescent Pain Patients - a Randomized Controlled Trial Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05689944
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- ALGODANCE / 69HCL22_0361
- Keywords
- Dance-therapy, Chronic pain, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Tension Type Headache, Adolescents
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 160 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Hospices Civils de LyonUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Mar 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Oct 2030 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Oct 2030 (estimated)
- First posted
- 19 Jan 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Pain, when it becomes chronic, can be a threat to patients and it is very common to observe a fear of pain and a fear of movement (kinesiophobia). Avoidance of movement due to fear of pain can lead to a deterioration of body image. Non-medicinal therapies are essential to correct this fear and movement avoidance behavior, to decrease "catastrophic" judgments and thus anxiety. The use of art-therapy in the accompaniment of patients with pain has shown, in particular, decreases in the intensity of pain, the level of anxiety, an improvement in stress, mood and overall psychological state. However, according to the current literature, it appears that 1) this technique is rarely used in children or adolescents, for whom non-medicinal therapies are fundamental, and 2) in the case of chronic pain, the form of art used is very rarely related to the body (most often painting, drawing, music...).
In this project, investigators propose to set up and test the potential benefit of art-therapy sessions related to the body, namely dance-therapy, in adolescents and young adults suffering from chronic pain.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 4
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Control group | No intervention | –Patients in the control group will not participate in any art-therapy or yoga interventions. They will be asked to complete pain and sleep diaries, questionnaires and pain, fatigue and mood scales at the same times and for the same duration as the other groups. |
| Dance-therapy group | Experimental | Behavioral: Dance-therapyPatients in the dance-therapy group will attend a weekly session of dance-therapy between weeks 1 and 15 of the protocol (15 sessions). They will be asked to complete daily pain and sleep diaries at weeks W0, W5, W16, W20 and W28 as well as questionnaires (kinesiophobia, anxiety, catastrophizing, fear of pain, quality of life, body image/self-perception). They will also be asked to assess their pain, fatigue and mood levels at the end of each week between W1 and W15. |
| Art-therapy group | Experimental | Behavioral: Art-therapyPatients in the art-therapy group will attend a weekly session of art-therapy (drawings, collages…) between weeks 1 and 15 of the protocol (15 sessions). They will be asked to complete daily pain and sleep diaries at weeks W0, W5, W16, W20 and W28 as well as questionnaires (kinesiophobia, anxiety, catastrophizing, fear of pain, quality of life, body image/self-perception). They will also be asked to assess their pain, fatigue and mood levels at the end of each week between W1 and W15. |
| Yoga group | Experimental | Behavioral: YogaPatients in the yoga group will attend a weekly session of Vinyasa yoga between weeks 1 and 15 of the protocol (15 sessions). They will be asked to complete daily pain and sleep diaries at weeks W0, W5, W16, W20 and W28 as well as questionnaires (kinesiophobia, anxiety, catastrophizing, fear of pain, quality of life, body image/self-perception). They will also be asked to assess their pain, fatigue and mood levels at the end of each week between W1 and W15. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 12 to 20 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Patients aged 12 to 20 years, girls or boys, with chronic pain.
- Diagnosis of chronic pain made in a Pain Management Center
- Patients followed in a Pain Management Center (to ensure that patients entering the protocol have pain that is not relieved by conventional treatments)
- Patients who have given written consent for adults or whose parents have given consent for minors
- Patients who are affiliated with or benefit from a social security system.
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Patients with other neurological or psychological disorders
- Patients with psychiatric illnesses
- Patients with chronic infectious, metabolic, cancerous, autoimmune diseases.
- Non-communicating patients including deaf and hard of hearing patients
- Patients or parents who do not speak or read French
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Dance-therapyThis session will take place once a week between weeks 1 and 15 of the protocol. * 5 mn of welcome and presentation of the upcoming session * 5 mn of self-evaluation of the pain as well as of the thymia and the fatigue before the beginning of the session (Visual numerical scales: VNS) * 15 mn of body warm-up with taught contemporary dance exercises * 15 mn of creative research based on dance improvisation on a given theme * 15 mn of sharing for the elaboration of a choreography * At the end of the session, 5mn of self-evaluation of the pain, the thymia, the fatigue and the level of appreciation of the session (VNS). After the session, the patient will be asked to think about the next session if he/she wishes (e.g. think of a choreography, remember what was done etc. ....) in order to encourage the commitment to care. These sessions will be based on contemporary dance and dance improvisation techniques. | Behavioural | Dance-therapy group |
| Art-therapyThis session will take place once a week between weeks 1 and 15 of the protocol. * 5 mn of welcome and presentation of the upcoming session * 5 mn of self-evaluation of the pain as well as of the thymia and the fatigue before the beginning of the session (Visual numerical scales: VNS) * 10 mn of discovery of a new technique (acrylic painting or collage). * 35 mn of practice in a project fixed beforehand * At the end of the session, 5mn of self-evaluation of the pain, the thymia, the fatigue and the level of appreciation of the session (VNS). After the session, the patient will be asked to think about the next session (e.g. collecting plants for collage....) in order to encourage commitment to the treatment. The sessions will be based on acrylic painting or collage techniques. | Behavioural | Art-therapy group |
| YogaThis session will take place once a week between weeks 1 and 15 of the protocol. * 5 mn welcome * 5 mn of self-evaluation of the pain as well as of the thymia and the fatigue before the beginning of the session (Visual numerical scales: VNS) * 50 mn of Vinyasa type yoga (warm-up, breathing, balance, strength and flexibility, relaxation) * 5 mn of closing of the session * At the end of the session, 5mn of self-evaluation of the pain thanks, the thymia, the fatigue and the level of appreciation of the session (VNS). These sessions engage the body without entering into a therapy protocol turned towards art as in the two previous interventions. | Behavioural | Yoga group |
Primary outcome
Assesment of pain change
Time frame: Weeks 0, 5, 16, 20 and 28.
Daily self-assessment on visual numerical scale of pain intensity upon awakening, at bedtime, and on average during the day. Each item is scored 0-10 (0= no pain; 10 = maximal pain). Reporting of the times during the day and night when the patient feels pain and its intensity.
10 secondary outcomes
Kinesiophobia
Time frame: Inclusion, weeks 5, 16, 20, 28.
Anxiety (adolescents)
Time frame: Inclusion, weeks 5, 16, 20, 28
Anxiety (adults)
Time frame: Inclusion, weeks 5, 16, 20, 28
Pain catastrophizing
Time frame: Inclusion, weeks 5, 16, 20, 28.
Fear of Pain (adolescents)
Time frame: Inclusion, weeks 5, 16, 20, 28.
Fear of Pain (adults)
Time frame: Inclusion, weeks 5, 16, 20, 28.
Incidence of art therapy on quality of life (adolescents)
Time frame: Inclusion, weeks 5, 16, 20, 28.
Incidence of art therapy on quality of life (adults)
Time frame: Inclusion, weeks 5, 16, 20, 28.
Body satisfaction and global self-perception
Time frame: Inclusion, weeks 5, 16, 20, 28.
Incidence of art therapy on sleep quality
Time frame: Weeks 0, 5, 16, 20 and 28.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 18 Jun 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Dance-therapy, Art-therapy and Yoga in people with Chronic Pain and Complex Regional Pain Syndromes, run by Hospices Civils de Lyon at 1 site in France.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 18 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in France. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Maud FROT, INSERM Researcher (04 72 35 78 88 ext. +33, maud.frot@univ-lyon1.fr), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Assesment of pain change (time frame: Weeks 0, 5, 16, 20 and 28.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 18 Jun 2026.