What causes back pain flares and how to prevent them
Official title: What causes low back pain to flare: Has a major opportunity to understand back pain been missed?
Funded at University of Queensland · NIH-11417863 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A back-pain study in Australia will use recent tech to see what triggers flare-ups in people with acute to chronic low back pain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Queensland NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Brisbane, Australia) |
| Project start | September 22, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $337,836 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AR080354-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11417863 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with acute to chronic low back pain who experience fluctuating symptoms and flares.
✕Less likely to help
People whose back pain is steady without clear flare patterns may have limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers at the University of Queensland will follow people with low back pain to identify factors that coincide with flare episodes. Using a case-crossover design, they will compare patients’ exposures at times of flares to control times, across multiple timepoints. This approach aims to reveal personalized triggers across physical, behavioral, and environmental domains to inform new care strategies. The project emphasizes collaboration with people who have back pain to ensure findings reflect real-world experiences.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to personalized strategies to predict and prevent back-p pain flares.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work on back pain has not reliably predicted flares; this study tests a novel case-crossover approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Queensland
Brisbane, Australia Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Klyne, David M — University of Queensland
- Study coordinator: Klyne, David M
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.