The National Spine Health Foundation (NSHF), based in Reston, Virginia, is celebrating 20 years of being the nation’s only patient-centered, non-profit organization dedicated to assisting Americans in contending with spine conditions. Offering reliable information, support groups, and a place for patients to get answers, the National Spine Health Foundation also engages in research and advocacy.
Spine Health Foundation Celebrates 20 Years Serving Patients
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Driven by its mission of educating the public about spine health and building a medical and scientific board with numerous surgeons from around the country, the National Spine Health Foundation is shepherded by CEO Rita Roy, M.D.
OTW asked Dr. Roy about the foundation’s top achievements over the last 20 years. “Over the last two decades,” said, Dr. Roy, “we have conducted groundbreaking research on everything from non-opioid pain management solutions to help combat the addiction crisis and robotic-guided surgery which helps surgeons be more precise and shortens patient recovery times. We’re incredibly proud that all of this research helps patients get back to their lives.”
“The National Spine Health Foundation has also successfully petitioned the U.S. Congress to recognize October as Spine Health Awareness month—helping bring much needed attention to the over 100 million Americans who suffer from back and neck pain each year.”
“Additionally, NSHF has worked to provide unparalleled access to the nation’s top spine surgeons with the launch of our Spine-Talks lecture series, so patients and their loved ones will have the knowledge needed to advocate for their own health and well-being.”
“Spine patients can also find support in our Spinal Champion program, which we were proud to launch in May 2021. Our Spinal Champions offer their support and encouragement to others who may be struggling with back or neck pain, bringing hope and healing to all!”
In addition, the foundation developed the “Who’s Got Your Back” Program. According to Dr. Roy, the “Who’s Got Your Back” campaign highlights the stories of inspiring Spinal Champions who have overcome their back and neck injuries to live a pain-free life. “This program is really about providing hope for spine patients and demonstrating that healing is possible and can be accessible to all,” said Dr. Roy.
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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