Evaluating the Auricular Point Acupressure-Self Management Program for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Among Rural Populations

The investigators will test an Auricular Point Acupressure Self-Management (APA-SM) program integrated into rural primary and specialty care and rural communities for chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP). To maximize self-management of pain, the investigators developed a smartphone app which will allow the participants to learn to self-administer APA. The investigators will have 3 arms (APA-SM self-guided with remote training, APA-SM with in-person training, and Education Control) with 231 participants per arm (total=693 for 3 arms). The investigators will evaluate the clinical effectiveness of our 4-week APA-SM intervention compared to control in primary outcomes (pain intensity, pain interference, activity), secondary outcomes (HEAL Clinical Pain Core common data elements), and analgesic use up to 6 months follow-up.

NCT Number	NCT07179016
Lead Sponsor	The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
Conditions	Chronic Pain (Back / Neck), Chronic Pain Management, Chronic Knee Pain, Joint Pain
Enrollment	693 participants
Start Date	2025-09-11
Primary Completion	2029-06-30 (estimated)
Study Completion	2029-08-31 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-10-01