Status:
Ended
Full Description:
The chemical and structural changes will be investigated in the fluid around the brain and the spinal cord (CSF), and the discs in the spine (IVDs). The study will try to connect those chemicals and structural changes seen in the CSF and IVDs with the pateints' description of the physical impairment and pain by looking at their past medical history, their answers to questionnaires, and performance in physical tasks. Our long-term goal is to identify and explain the chemical and physical changes in the human body of patients with continuous pain, which predict the source of the disease, pain severity, amount of physical problems, and how to treat the pain effectively. If this is possible, we can then use this information to find ways to predict success for different types of medical treatments and create new ways to decrease a person's pain.
This research study is a collaborative effort between Twin Cities Spine Center and the Dr. Lois Kehl at the University of Minnesota, Department of Anesthesiology.
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