Leeds PAIN Research Group

Our research assesses new treatments and technologies for chronic pain and how they compare to existing standards to improve future care and outcomes for patients with chronic pain.

The Group has an international reputation, particularly in the field of neuromodulation. We have strong links with academia, national bodies and industry with active involvement in several current research studies.

Please feel free to follow us @LeedsPainRes on Twitter!

Chronic Pain PPI Group at Leeds

Welcome to the Chronic Pain PPI Group @ Leeds!

We have an active Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Group which gets involved with our research to make sure it is important, meaningful and has clear outcomes for patient and public groups.

Patient and public involvement (PPI) in research means actively working with patients and members of the public to design, plan, manage, carry out and disseminate research. Getting involved can improve research, making it more relevant and useful for patient and public groups.

The Chronic Pain PPI Group @ Leeds is a group of adults with an interest in pain research and who would like to make it better! Members of the group have experience of chronic pain, including direct and indirect experiences. Members include patients, carers, family members, friends and members of the public.

You don’t need to have any experience of research or being in a PPI Group, just enthusiasm and a willingness to get involved and share your thoughts and feedback.

There are many different ways to get involved with the Group and how much you get involved is up to you. You may like to receive our quarterly newsletter (please see below), provide your feedback on a new research idea, help with communicating research findings to others, provide your thoughts and suggestions on funding proposals or assist with managing research studies. The Group makes such a difference to the research we do.

The majority of activities are done remotely e.g.: reviewing materials over email, completing online or paper-based surveys, attending one-to-one or group discussions over Zoom or Microsoft Teams. In time, we hope to run some face-to-face activities.

Activities are arranged at a time that suits you and some projects offer a recognition payment for those who get involved. Recognition payments are not typical and are dependent on the project.

Group Newsletter

Summer newsletter issue 1

Interested in learning more about the Group or would like to join?

Please email [email protected] and a member of the PAIN Research Group will be in touch.

Current research studies

This randomised controlled trial evaluates the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of radiofrequency denervation for chronic and moderate to severe low back pain. Development of the study protocol has been published.

This global registry evaluates the long-term effectiveness of Boston Scientific neurostimulation therapy systems for pain in routine clinical practice. More details about the study can be found on the Clinical Trials website.

This multi-centre randomised controlled trial compares the Minuteman device with surgical decompression for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis. More details about the study can be found on the Clinical Trials website.

This study examines the extent to which facet block injections predict response to stimulation of the medial branch of the dorsal ramus with the ReActiv8 device.

This is a post-market study that aims to gain broader understanding of how Abbott’s neurostimulation systems are being used in real-world settings. More details about the study can be found on the Clinical Trials website.

This study evaluates the effects of 10 kHz spinal cord stimulation on measures of autonomic function in patients with failed back surgery syndrome. Findings from the feasibility stage have been published.

This is a randomised controlled trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of Qutenza in individuals with post-surgical pain. More details about the study can be found on the Clinical Trials website.

This retrospective data collection study characterises real-world clinical outcomes for patients implanted with a Boston Scientific spinal cord stimulator. More details can be found on the Clinical Trials website.

This feasibility study evaluates the treatment of evoked compound action potentials (ECAPs) in patients with chronic abdominal pain.

This observational study will evaluate spinal cord stimulation in individuals with painful diabetic neuropathy in a real-world healthcare setting. More details about the study can be found on the Clinical Trials website.

This study evaluates the effects of 10 kHz spinal cord stimulation on measures of autonomic function in patients with painful diabetic neuropathy.

This feasibility study will explore the effects of stimulation of the lumbar sympathetic chain in patients with knee osteoarthritis or endometriosis

Upcoming research studies

This pilot study will assess the effects of spinal cord stimulation on autonomic function in individuals with post-chemotherapy and post-radiation.

This multi-centre, randomised controlled trial will assess the effects of Cannabis Extract Ver-01 in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain.

Completed research studies

This multi-centre study collects electrophysiological, device data and the programmability of the EVOKE closed loop spinal cord stimulation system for chronic trunk and/or limb pain.

This multi-centre, randomised controlled trial evaluates the ReActiv8 device for the treatment of chronic low back pain in conjunction with medical management. The one-year results of the study have been published. More details can be found on the Clinical Trials website.

The Phase 1b part of the PERSICA study will investigate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of the drug PP353 in the treatment of patients with chronic low back pain associated with bone oedema. More details about the study can be found on the Clinical Trials website.

This pilot study investigated the long-term efficacy, safety, tolerability and quality of life associated with 10 kHz spinal cord stimulation in patients with non-surgical chronic low back pain. The first 12-month results of the study have been published. More details can be found on the Clinical Trials website.

This randomised controlled trial assessed the efficacy of Burst spinal cord stimulation as a treatment for visceral pain secondary to chronic pancreatitis. More details can be found on the Clinical Trials website.

This multi-centre randomised controlled trial compared 10 kHz spinal cord stimulation with conventional medical management for non-surgical back pain. More details can be found on the Clinical Trials website.

This randomised controlled trial compared 10 kHz spinal cord stimulation plus usual care with sham 10 kHz spinal cord stimulation plus usual care. More details can be found on the Clinical Trials website.

This study investigated change in brain patterns in patients with failed back surgery syndrome who had 10 kHz and Burst spinal cord stimulation.

This randomised controlled trial investigated the clinical utility and cost-effectiveness of a screening trial for spinal cord stimulation. The primary outcomes, patient preferences for a screening trial and 36-month results are published.

This multi-centre feasibility study compared the efficacy of paraesethesia mapping to anatomical placement in Burst spinal cord stimulation. The initial study results and the longer-term results have been published.

This multi-centre study evaluated the ReActiv-8 device for the treatment of non-surgical chronic low back pain. More details can be found on the Clinical Trials website.

This was a randomised controlled trial to test the superiority of BurstDR spinal cord stimulation compared to sham stimulation for the treatment of failed back surgery syndrome in patients with predominant back pain.

This registry evaluated the long-term safety and performance of neurostimulation for the treatment of chronic migraine in real-world practice.

This post-market clinical follow-up study investigated the long-term efficacy of the Prodigy neuromodulation system in the management of failed back surgery syndrome or chronic intractable pain of the trunk and/or limbs.

This post-market study evaluated the St Jude Medical MR conditional neurostimulation systems.

This post-market study evaluated the clinical outcomes of neuromodulation for the management of moderate to severe chronic pain. The first 12-month results have been published as well as the 24-month outcomes.

This post-market study investigated the use of Prialt® (ziconotide intrathecal infusion) and alternative drugs for the management of severe, chronic pain.

This randomised controlled trial compared the clinical and cost effectiveness of transforaminal epidural steroid injection to surgical microdiscectomy for the treatment of chronic radicular pain secondary to prolapsed intervertebral disc herniation.

This multi-centre study aimed to characterise the real-world outcomes of high rate spinal cord stimulation therapy using Boston Scientific Precision spinal cord stimulator system.

This multi-centre, retrospective review evaluated the applicability of the e-health tool on real patient spinal cord stimulation data, and explored relationships between panel recommendations, centre decisions and patient outcomes.

This study investigated surgical fixation versus non-operative management for patients with stable thoracolumbar fractures.

This study investigated QUTENZA versus pregabalin in subjects with peripheral neuropathic pain.

This study investigated the use of transdermal buprenorphine patches for the treatment of chronic pain. The study results have been published and more details about the study can be found on the Clinical Trials Website.

This study investigated the prevalence and genetic profile of patients with chronic pain who do not respond to oral codeine.

This study investigated the efficacy, safety and tolerability of oral cebranopadol versus morphine sulfate PR in subjects with chronic moderate to severe pain related to cancer.

This study investigated the safety and tolerability of oral cebranopadol administered for 26 weeks in subjects with cancer related pain who have completed treatment in an earlier trial.

This multi-centre feasibility study evaluated the Nalu Alpha External Trial Stimulator for the treatment of chronic pain via spinal cord stimulation.

This post-market trial evaluated dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation with the commercially available Axium neurostimulator system.

Closed research Studies