COMBAT-Pain

Chronic low back pain is a leading concern for adults in ambulatory clinics and emergency settings and a frequent reason for medical visits among active-duty military personnel ("Absolute and relative morbidity burdens attributable to various illnesses and injuries, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2020," 2021). Nonpharmacologic treatments such as acupuncture (ACU) and cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic pain (CBT-CP) have demonstrated efficacy. ACU consistently provides short-term pain relief and functional improvement (Liu et al., 2015), while CBT-CP is recognized as a "gold standard" for improving chronic pain-related functioning (Murphy et al., 2022; Richmond et al., 2015). However, research on these interventions remains limited in Department of Defense (DoD) populations.

This project addresses gaps by examining the comparative and combined effectiveness of ACU and CBT-CP for chronic pain management in DoD beneficiaries. Expanding access to these interventions in primary care supports DHA pain management pathways and aligns with RAND recommendations, particularly in overcoming barriers to accessing qualified CBT-CP providers.