Table 2.
Studies of non-pharmacologic treatments for chronic pain in patients with HIV.
| Study, year | Exposure/intervention description | Design | N | Locationa | Chronic pain type (s) | Outcome measuresb | Follow-up time, in weeks | Sample characteristics | Pain results | Function results | GRADE score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abrams, Neurology, 2007 | Cannabis vs. placebo cigarettes | RCT | 55 | Clinical research unit | Neuropathic | Pain: VAS Function: Profile of Mood States (POMS) |
1 | All HIV+; in intervention group, mean age 50, 52% white, 81% male, median CD4 = 355 cells/mL, 70% undetectable viral load | Greater improvement in VAS in cannabis vs. placebo group (34% vs. 17%, p = .03). | No significant difference | 2 |
| Trafton, Journal of Behavioral Health Services Research, 2012 | CBT, 12 group sessions | Pre-post | 60 | HIV primary carec | Mixed: leg 81.7%, foot 73.3%, low back 68.3%, arm/hand 63.3%, neck 51.7%; | Pain and function: POQ |
24 | All HIV+; for intervention group: mean age 50, 33% white, 45% black, 10% other, 65% male | Improvement in POQ pain intensity (7.3–5.2, p < .001) | Improvement in POQ function (87.2–72.0, p < .001) | 1 |
| Cucciare, Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2009 | CBT, 12 group sessions | Pre-post | 60 | HIV primary care, included VA patients | Mixed | Pain and function: POQ |
12 | All HIV+, mean age 50, 33% white, 65% male, | Improvement in total POQ score (85–75, p ≤ .05) | Improvement in POQ psychologic subscale (41 to 33, p < .01). No difference in physical subscale | 1 |
| Dorfman, Pain Medicine, 2013 | Self-hypnosis 3 sessions | Pre-post | 41 | Outpatients | Neuropathic | Pain: McGill-SF Function Medical Outcomes Study Quality of Life measure for HIV (MOS-QOL) Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D) State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) |
10 | All HIV+, mean age 48, 17% white, 73% male, median CD4 409 cells/mL, median HIV viral load 116 copies/mL | Improvement in McGill-SF total pain score (17.8–13.2, p < .0001) | Improvement in MOS-QOL. Improvement in CES-D among individuals with high pretreatment depression scores (23.7–18.0. No difference in STAI | 1 |
a
If Veterans were included, this was noted.
b
Only pain and function outcomes were included in this table.
c
Study received Institutional Review Board approval from VA but unclear whether Veterans were enrolled.
RCT = Randomized controlled trial.