Inside UCSF's Bold New Experiments for Chronic Pain—From Brain Stimulation to Weighted Blankets

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco are pioneering innovative approaches to chronic pain treatment, testing everything from adaptive brain stimulation technology to weighted blankets. With chronic pain affecting 1 in 4 US adults, these 19 ongoing clinical trials represent a comprehensive effort to find new solutions for the millions struggling with treatment-resistant pain conditions.

What Makes UCSF's Brain Stimulation Different?

Traditional deep brain stimulation (DBS) for chronic pain has limitations—it targets only one brain region and provides continuous stimulation that may lose effectiveness over time. UCSF's closed-loop deep brain stimulation study is testing a revolutionary approach that targets multiple, complementary brain regions in an adaptive fashion for people ages 22-80 with treatment-resistant chronic pain.

This new technology represents a significant departure from current methods. Instead of the "always on" approach of traditional DBS, the adaptive system adjusts stimulation based on real-time brain activity, potentially providing better and more enduring pain relief for patients who haven't responded to other treatments.

How Are Weighted Blankets Being Tested for Pain Relief?

In a surprising twist, UCSF researchers are also examining whether weighted blankets can reduce chronic pain in veterans. The randomized controlled trial will study 160 veterans with chronic pain and sleep disturbance, comparing the effects of light 3-pound blankets versus heavy 15-pound blankets over six weeks of home use.

The study will measure pain levels, pain catastrophizing, medication use, sleep disturbance, sleep efficiency, and total sleep time. Previous research has shown weighted blankets can provide large reductions in insomnia, and preliminary findings suggest they may also reduce chronic pain severity.

What Other Innovative Treatments Are Being Studied?

UCSF's pain research extends far beyond brain stimulation and weighted blankets. The university is testing several cutting-edge approaches:

• Psilocybin Therapy: A study for people ages 25-70 with chronic low back pain evaluates whether psilocybin therapy helps patients cope more effectively, including preparation sessions, dosing sessions, and integration sessions to discuss the experience.
• Cell-Based Treatments: The rexlemestrocel-L combined with hyaluronic acid study tests a single injection into lumbar intervertebral discs for moderate to severe chronic low back pain, measuring efficacy and safety over 12 months.
• Group-Based Integrative Care: Researchers are testing multilevel, biopsychosocial approaches in primary care safety net clinics, specifically designed for racially and ethnically diverse low-income patients who face disparities in pain assessment and treatment.
• Mobile App Technology: The INSPIRE program creates a trilingual mobile app and telehealth coaching program promoting non-pharmacologic pain management strategies for Black, Chinese, and Latinx communities in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The research also includes specialized studies for women's health, such as a fully remote, videoconference-based pelvic floor yoga program for women with chronic pelvic pain syndrome, and investigations into how magnesium affects nerve monitoring during complex spinal surgeries.

These diverse approaches reflect a growing understanding that chronic pain requires personalized, multifaceted treatment strategies. By testing everything from high-tech brain devices to simple weighted blankets, UCSF researchers are working to expand the toolkit available to the millions of Americans living with persistent pain conditions.