Genetic predictors of recovery and surgical outcomes for Veterans with chronic low back pain and lumbosacral spine disorders

Who could benefit from this research

What this research studies

If you are a Veteran with ongoing low back pain or nerve-related leg symptoms, researchers will use VA electronic health records combined with genetic data to look for DNA differences tied to outcomes and responses to treatments. They will run genome-wide analyses and combine results across datasets to identify genetic variants, then build prediction models that include clinical and genomic information. The team will validate those models to see if they can better predict who will improve with non-surgical care and who might benefit most from procedures like decompression surgery. The goal is to make risk-based treatment choices more accurate for Veterans.

Why it matters

Where this research is happening

• VA Puget Sound Healthcare System
  Seattle, United States Active

Researchers

• Principal investigator: Suri, Pradeep — VA Puget Sound Healthcare System
• Study coordinator: Suri, Pradeep

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

• Ketamine-assisted care plan to help Veterans with chronic back pain and depression

  A program for Veterans with chronic low back pain and depression that uses ketamine infusions followed by a brief narrative therapy to sustain relief from pain and mood improvement.

  NIH research Veterans Health Administration · Ann Arbor, United States · NIH-11533116

• Savoring Meditation for Chronic Low Back Pain patients

  A study tests a brief mindfulness-based practice called Savoring Meditation to help people with chronic low back pain feel better emotionally and manage pain in daily life.

  NIH research University of Virginia · Charlottesville, United States · NIH-11465428

• Chronic Low Back Pain in Older Adults and Hip Impairments

  A study to help older adults with chronic low back pain, by looking at how hip problems affect their pain and function and testing tailored non-drug treatments.

  NIH research University of Delaware · Newark, UNITED STATES · NIH-11447991

• Mechanical signs from the spine’s discs that predict when back pain becomes long-lasting

  A Duke study aims to use new imaging and personal factors to see if the mechanical health of spinal discs can predict when acute low back pain becomes chronic.

  NIH research Duke University · Durham, United States · NIH-11446556

• Personalized multicomponent therapy for chronic low back pain using smart patient-based algorithms

  A U-Michigan-led effort tests a personalized approach to chronic low back pain by tailoring several treatments to individual patients using smart, data-driven decision rules.

  NIH research University of Michigan at Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, United States · NIH-11418354

• Epigenetic drivers of chronic low back pain

  A patient-friendly look at how DNA methylation might influence disc-related back pain and potential new ways to treat it beyond opioids.

  NIH research University of Minnesota · Minneapolis, United States · NIH-11418084

About this research

1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.