Shocking Study Reports Drop in Spine Surgery Interest

An entirely unique mobile, at-home exercise therapy and behavioral coaching program reduced patient low back pain by 62%, disability by 55%, improved daily life impact by 64%, and, like a cherry on an ice cream sundae, it also chopped interest in spine surgery dramatically.

The study, “Randomized controlled trial of a 12-week digital care program in improving low back pain,” appears in the January 7, 2019 edition of npj Digital Medicine.

The software program that drives the tested treatment was invented by Silicon Valley, California-based company Hinge Health, Inc.. The researchers enrolled 177 patients. The treatment group received a home-based program consisting of sensor-guided exercise therapy, education articles, cognitive behavioral therapy, team discussions, activity tracking, symptom tracking, and 1-on-1 coaching, all using the Hinge Health app.

Bottom line: patients in the treatment group reported 52% less interest in surgery compared to an increase of 53% in the control group.

“We found significant improvement in subject-reported pain and disability from those using the digital care program,” said co-author Jeannie Bailey, Ph.D. to OTW, who is with the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco.

Co-author and company CEO and Co-Founder Dan Perez, Ph.D. told OTW, “The impact of Hinge Health shows promising results to mitigate the rising use of harmful opioids for people coping with low back pain. By improving pain and educating participants about non-surgical options, the likelihood of surgery was significantly reduced. Participants that completed the digital care program had an average weekly engagement of 90%, completing 45.6 exercise therapy sessions.”

“Hinge Health is building the world’s most patient-centered digital hospital—starting with musculoskeletal conditions. The findings from our two randomized control trials are strong validation of our approach to MSK [musculoskeletal] care—combining the three pillars of best practice: exercise therapy, education, and behavioral health.”