Clinical trial · Interventional
Occupational Therapy and Horticulture for Cancer Survivors With Chronic Pain
Exploring the Effect of Occupational Therapy and Horticulture for Cancer Survivors With Chronic Pain
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
The purpose of this quasi-experimental study is to explore the impact of a therapeutic horticulture program as an occupation-based intervention to address chronic pain symptoms for cancer survivors. The main objectives are to assess participants' perceptions of pain, physical and psychosocial wellness, stress management, and quality of life at pre-, post-, and 3-month follow-up. Quantitative and qualitative data will be synthesized and analyzed to explore this phenomenon.
Conditions
Conditions (2)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer Survivor | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Chronic Pain | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horticultural activity | Behavioral | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (1)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Therapeutic Horticulture Group
- description
- The therapeutic horticulture group will participate in a 6-week horticulture program meeting twice a week for an hour led by an occupational therapist incorporating plant-based activities and education on pain management techniques at a community farm.
- interventionNames
- Behavioral: Horticultural activity
Primary outcomes (1)
- measure
- Salivary Cortisol Test
- timeFrame
- Change between baseline and three months
- description
- Participant stress level will be determined by salivary cortisol levels. Participant's salivary cortisol level will be measured at awakening, 30 minutes following awakening and bedtime. Typically, there is Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR), which is a steep rise in cortisol output during the first 30 minutes following awakening, followed by a steady decline across the morning, afternoon, and evening hours, with the daily nadir typically occurring around midnight. Flattened diurnal cortisol slope relates to increased emotional and psychosocial stress and related to worse health outcomes. The typical Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) is defined as an increase of at least 2.5 nmol/l from the cortisol level taken at awakening. Although there are no agreed norms for the absolute concentrations of free cortisol in saliva it typically ranges between 4.7-18.5 nmol/l for post-awakening, between 8.6-21.9 nmol/l for 30 minutes post-awakening, and 0.3-15.2 nmol/l for bedtime.
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
- Maximum age
- 64 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * 18 - 64 years of age * History of cancer diagnosis * Chronic pain longer than 3 months * Have interest in therapeutic horticulture and exercise * Able to participate in a moderate physical activity in sitting and/or standing for at least one hour twice a week * Able to provide own transportation to the horticulture site or the supervised exercise program * Able to comprehend, speak and write in English Exclusion Criteria: * Uncontrolled seizure disorder * Pregnancy
References
Publications (0)
Data not yet available