Everyday PTs across the country are dedicated to finding prevention strategies and treatment solutions for patients experiencing debilitating back pain, and NAIOMT faculty, courses and fellowships focus on providing the tools, clinical skills and mentorship necessary to do so. We know this pervasive issue needs more coordinated attention to help the millions of Americans whose quality of life suffers.

So here’s the good news: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) recently announced $14 million in research funding granted to several teams including one at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)’s College of Health Professions to focus on “targeted interventions to prevent chronic lower back pain in high risk patients.”

According to MUSC’s media release, the study’s aim is to “provide patients with information that will help them make better-informed decisions about their care.  It is also one of the first studies selected for funding through PCORI’s Pragmatic Clinical Studies Initiative, an effort to produce results that are broadly applicable to a greater variety of patients and care situations and can be more quickly taken up in routine clinical practice.”

But of course, every study has its limitations. And while we don’t have enough details about this particular research yet, what kinds of issues do you think they might they encounter? If you were conducting a low back pain study, what areas would you focus your efforts on? What questions would you want answered?