Seeking to understand the mechanisms of back pain
Chronic back pain is a serious medical condition and one of the most common reasons for patient visits to physicians. Its estimated cost in the United States is over $100 billion each year.
Various factors cause chronic back pain, including intervertebral disc disease, facet joint osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, foraminal stenosis, muscle fatigue, and radiculopathy. However, determining which molecular mechanisms rcause it, along with fully effective treatments are still to be determined.
CINID’s goal is to examine neuroimmune pathways and uncover neuroimmune-related molecules that may provide improved understanding and treatment of chronic back pain.