Fear Avoidance Beliefs Training (FABT)
At Home for Workers’ Compensation Patients
Benefits
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- Decrease Fear Avoidance Beliefs, improve function
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- Decrease medication usage
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- Decrease medical utilization for high medical utilizers, decreasing open claim time and moving patient to MMI more quickly
Program Features
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- Fear Avoidance Beliefs Training recommended in MTUS Chronic Pain Guidelines
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- Behavioral health coaches trained in motivational interviewing
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- Opioid-sparing, evidence-based pain neuroscience education program
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- Digital health tools to track patient progress
12-week program

Non-pharmacological
Fun and engaging
Providers Track Patient Progress Online
- Remotely monitor patient progress
- Access pain educational media
- View key analytics
- Custom experiences for providers, clinicians, and pain coaches
Trusted by



Patient Journey

KarunaHOME patient experience
Patient engages in Fear Avoidance Belief Training (FABT) at home, while progress data is sent back to their providers.
Getting started
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Patient meets with a clinician (either in person or over video chat) to determine a plan of care for Fear Avoidance Beliefs Training (FABT).
The KarunaHOME kit is then sent to the patient’s house. |
Training and coaching begin
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Patient begins activities and meets with coach once per week to go review goals, progress, and educational materials. |
Program continues
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Patient continues regular training acitivities and meets with coach once per week. |
Real world application
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Patient applies functional progress to real world. |
Finish program
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Patient finishes program and returns kit to provider. |
Clinical Evidence for Karuna’s Workers’ Compensation Program
480
Journal articles *
93
Randomized
controlled trials *
26
Meta-analyses articles *
Research
KarunaHOME Publications
Case Series
Embodiment in Virtual Reality for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain: A Case Series
Michael Trujillo, PhD, Anthony Alvarez, BS, Lincoln Nguyen, BS, James Petros, MD, MBA
This case series provides evidence that embodiment in virtual reality improves symptoms of persistent chronic low back pain. We propose a mechanism by which virtual embodiment may improve chronic pain symptoms by recontextualizing sensory feedback from the body as patients engage in functional rehabilitation exercises while in virtual reality.
Citation: Trujillo MS, Alvarez AF, Nguyen L, Petros J. Embodiment in Virtual Reality for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain: A Case Series. J Pain Res. 2020;13:3131-3137. Published 2020 Nov 25. doi:10.2147/JPR.S275312
Pilot Study
Virtual reality is a feasible intervention platform in multiple sclerosis: A pilot protocol and acute improvements in affect
Michael Trujillo, PhD, Anthony Alvarez, BS, Lincoln Nguyen, BS, James Petros, MD, MBA
This pilot study demonstrated improvements in pain symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis.
Citation: Shaw MT, Palmeri MJ, Malik M, Dobbs B, Charvet LE. Virtual reality is a feasible intervention platform in multiple sclerosis: A pilot protocol and acute improvements in affect. Multiple Sclerosis Journal – Experimental, Translational and Clinical. April 2021. doi:10.1177/20552173211006139
Whitepaper
Embodiment in Virtual Reality as a Digital Therapeutic for the Treatment of Low Back Pain
Michael Trujillo, PhD, Anthony Alvarez, BS, Lincoln Nguyen, BS, Jon Weinberg, MBA, James Petros, MD, MBA
Karuna Labs Inc. has developed the Karuna Virtual Embodiment Training™ (KVET™) system to address the need for alternative, non-invasive, non-addictive methods to treat chronic pain. KVET™ uses a combination of virtual environments and avatars that provide visual feedback during chronic pain functional rehabilitation. Our key innovation is the application of virtualreality (VR) to improve patients’ willingness and ability to perform physical therapy (PT) and to improve the effectiveness of PT for the treatment of chronic pain.
Selected Fear Avoidance Beliefs Training (FABT)
TITLE
DESIGN
DESCRIPTION
Fear Avoidance Beliefs Training improves disability and pain intensity in patient’s low back pain
Fear Avoidance Beliefs Training significantly improved work related fear avoidance beliefs in workers with chronic pain
Patients with high fear avoidance benefit from functional rehabilitation programs that include Fear Avoidance Beliefs Training
Chronic low back pain patients with reduced function demonstrated superior benefits over treatment as usual on function, fear, and pain
Function in chronic pain patients is significantly reduced in patients with high Fear Avoidance Beliefs
Early Fear Avoidance Training prevents the onset of chronic pain
High fear avoidance beliefs is associated with sustained impairments in returning to work in chronic pain patients
Therapeutic patient education
Research Pipeline
INSTITUTION
DESIGN | STATUS
PI
Penn Medicine
Status: Ongoing, actively recruiting
Dr. Michael Ashburn, MD, MPH, MBA.
Director, Pain Medicine and Palliative Care Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Karuna Labs
Status: Ongoing, actively recruiting
Dr. Michael Trujillo, PhD
VP of Clinical Affairs, Karuna Labs
UCSF
Status: Ongoing, actively recruiting
Dr. Prasad Shirvalkar, MD, PhD
Neurologist and Pain Medicine Specialist UCSF Dept. of Anesthesia
Georgia State University
Status: Ongoing, actively recruiting
Dr. Sujay Galen, PhD
Chair, Department of Physical Therapy, Georgia State University
Santa Clara University
Status: Pending
Julia A. Scott, Ph.D.
Senior Research Associate BioInnovation and Design Lab, Santa Clara University
Conference Abstracts & Posters
Additional Peer Reviewed Research
TITLE
DESIGN
DESCRIPTION
VR significantly reduces pain versus an active control condition in hospitalized patients (N = 120; 61 VR; 59 Control)
Findings support the feasibility of VR as an adjunct for Veterans with chronic pain.
Virtual reality had large significant effect in reducing sensitivity to pain in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain (N = 84; 42 VR; 42 control
Immersive VR significantly improved pain, kinesiophobia, fatigue, physical activity and quality of life in fibromyalgia patients
Visual augmentation in VR induced compensation and unconscious motor adaptation
Moving in immersive virtual reality increases the analgesic effects of VR
Schedule an Appointment
If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment, please give us a call at (415) 894-0355 or sign up for more information.