Psilocybin Therapy for Chronic Lower Back Pain: University of California Seeks Participants for Clinical Trial

By Anthony Martinelli
August 28, 2024
2 mins to read

The University of California (UC) is seeking participants for a double-blind, randomized clinical trial “examining the preliminary efficacy of psilocybin therapy for people with chronic low back pain”.

(Photo credit: TheScientist).

“This study evaluates whether psilocybin therapy helps patients cope with chronic low back pain more effectively”, states a public posting .” Patients may be recruited at Stanford and University of California San Francisco (UCSF), study procedures will occur at UCSF.”

Each participant “will receive a dose of psilocybin with possibly one or more other drugs. Participants will undergo two preparation sessions, a dosing session, three integration sessions to discuss their psilocybin experience, and several follow up sessions.”

The began in December 2023, but recently opened up for new applicants. The study is expected to be completed by December of this year.

Below is the eligibility criteria:

Age 25 to 70 years old
Comfortable speaking and writing in English
Diagnosed with chronic low back pain
Able to attend all in-person visits at UCSF as well as virtual visits
Has tried at least two previous medications/ procedures and physical therapy trials for low back pain

Below is more details on the study provided by UC:

Chronic pain is associated with higher levels of pain-related distress, depression, emotional dysfunction, helplessness, hopelessness, and suicidality. Psilocybin is a psychoactive drug that may be well-suited to easing the psychological and emotional symptoms of distress associated with chronic pain. Previous studies testing psilocybin therapy have shown improvements on multiple behavioral and psychiatric outcomes, but it is unknown whether psilocybin therapy similarly enables patients to cope with chronic pain more effectively. The investigators will determine whether psilocybin therapy improves patients’ ability to cope with chronic low back pain. If psilocybin therapy is an effective treatment in this population, its use could be incorporated into interventions for chronic low back pain and other psychological conditions.

The University of California San Francisco is also seeking participants for three other psilocybin studies.

Anthony Martinelli

Anthony Martinelli is founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Marijuana Herald. Anthony previously served as Editor-in-Chief of TheJointBlog.com, and he has worked as a campaign manager and communications director for multiple political campaigns and elected officials. You can reach Anthony at Info@TheMarijuanaHerald.com.