Nebraska Spine Center Site For National Low Back Pain Study

The benefits of surgical versus non-surgical treatment for three common back disorders will be researched by The Nebraska Foundation for Spinal Research. This is part of a $13.5 million grant approved for musculoskeletal research awarded to Dartmouth Spine Center, Lebanon, N.H. and the National Spine Network. The Nebraska Spine Center, a regional center for spinal treatment and its associated physicians, is the parent of the Foundation.

The Nebraska Foundation for Spine Research is one of 11 U.S. centers participating in the study - "Low Back Pain: A Multi-center Randomized Trial." This record-breaking funding agreement was awarded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) of the National Institutes of Health Office of Research on Women's Health and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Back pain treatment and its indirect costs, including disability and litigation, top $100 billion annually. Back-related conditions account for approximately one-third of the cost of worker's compensation care and are the second most common reason for visits to the doctor, second only to the common cold.

The five-year, multi-center clinical trial is called "SPORT: Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial." The study's goal is to evaluate and compare patient outcomes for three common spine diagnoses: disc herniation, spinal stenosis (narrowing of the canal through which the spinal nerves pass) and degenerative spondylolisthesis (where a vertebra in the spinal column slips out of place).

A total of 3,300 patients from across the country will be enrolled into the study. To qualify for the study, patients must have been treated conservatively, or non-surgically for 6 to 12 weeks. Each patient will remain in the study for up to 5 years.

Information obtained through the study will be stored at Dartmouth. Patients who qualify for participation in this ground breaking study will come from among the Spine Center's current patient base or can be referred though another physician. They may choose to participate in one of two arms of the study, randomized or observational, both of which include surgical or non-operative treatment.

Numerous non-operative options are available for the patient that include but are not limited to education/counseling, physical therapy, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, home-exercise, epidural injections, bed rest, and complimentary therapies. Physicians may modify treatment, as both they and the patient deem appropriate.

If you have been diagnosed with lumbar spinal stenosis, degenerative spondylolisthesis or lumbar herniated disk and would be interested in participation in the study should be directed to the clinical trial coordinator at the Nebraska Spine Center, (402) 496-0404.

The Nebraska Foundation for Spinal Research was founded in 1998 as a non-profit organization by the orthopaedic spine surgeons of the Nebraska Spine Center with the belief that medical research of spine diseases and disorders is a primary component of overall patient service. The Foundation researches and documents the latest treatment and surgical techniques. It is actively involved in medical research relating to the causes, diagnosis, prevention, treatment and/or control of spinal diseases and spinal disorders.