Conditioning Therapy for Post-Operative Pain Management in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer
This clinical trial evaluates whether treatment of pain after head and neck cancer surgery using standard pain management plus conditioning with a clove oil scent and a placebo (a substance that looks like a drug but contains no active ingredient) affects opioid consumption and pain control after surgery in patients with head and neck cancer. Researchers wants to establish methods to improve pain management after surgery and decrease the risk of chronic opioid dependence. While opioids provide pain relief, they also have adverse effects on health and healing after surgery, and there is a risk of dependence and addiction. Conditioning therapy with a placebo aims to create a classically conditioned response to an inactive medication (i.e., the placebo) through consistent pairing of the medication with a neutral stimulus (i.e. an odor), in this case, a clove oil scent. This type of conditioning has been shown to be effective for decreasing the amount of active drug required for certain clinical responses, including acute pain. The second part of the study evaluates the impact of an audio interview done prior to surgery on changes in communication between patients and their medical team and patient perception of satisfaction with their hospital care. Undergoing conditioning therapy with a placebo in addition to standard pain management may work better at improving pain management in patients with head and neck cancer who have undergone surgery, compared to standard pain management alone.