Technological advances within the spine health sector are increasingly occurring. But what does innovation in spine technology mean for patients struggling with back pain?

Many digital health solutions designed for spine care focus on achieving the following objectives:

• Developing more precise and less invasive surgical and pain management approaches.
• Reducing preoperative and postoperative pain.
• Improving spinal fusion between adjacent parts.
• Maintaining spinal motion.
• Speed up recovery.

Ideally, spine care innovations aim to improve spinal pain management for doctors and patients. In this article, we will explore technologies revolutionizing spine pain management.

1. Artificial Intelligence

In today’s modern healthcare, artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a buzzword but rather a vital component. In spinal healthcare, AI, and machine learning (ML) algorithms play significant roles in diagnosing, treating, and predicting outcomes. 

Benefits of AI and ML in Spine Health 

According to ResearchGate, AI and ML applications in the spinal field improve spine care in various ways, such as:

• Improving spinal imaging through augmenting detection and classification abilities, thus boosting diagnostic accuracy.
• Enhanced patient outcome prediction.
• Personalized care.

AI and ML are beneficial tools for identifying ideal surgical candidates. These innovative technologies also advise surgeons on operative approaches and predict the procedure’s success and the cost of various treatments.

As an example, let us say that Patient A has low back pain and sciatica because of a slipped disc in the lower back (lumbar spine). This patient has followed the latest pain management trends, like physical therapy, pain medication, cognitive behavioral therapy, and acupuncture. Nothing has provided long-term relief for the pain, and Patient A has been referred to a surgeon.

Given that AI and ML algorithms are data-driven tools, they help surgeons evaluate patient data and provide quality care by:

• Making procedures more precise.
• Reducing complications, which lowers the risk of reoperations.
• Minimizing costs.
• Promoting customized spine care.

AI is also helpful in radiology and imaging, as it helps doctors efficiently identify spine health issues. AI-powered radiology tools like DeepSpine, for example, analyze lumbar spine MRI images to help radiologists, orthopedic surgeons, and technologists get an automated quantification of the lower back. This adds value to radiology reports and reduces radiology workflow.

2. Robotics

Back pain is a common health condition. Managing it, however, is not easy because diagnoses are subjective assessments of patients who experience different pain thresholds. To address these challenges, companies in the medical technology field are investing heavily in robotics. For example, Adamo Robot has developed a fully automated physiotherapy robot.

The robot explores the patient’s body using 3D thermal vision to identify hot and cold spots.

It then leverages AI to determine the type of back injury and suggests the necessary treatment. The Adamo robot has six-axis robotic arms capable of articulated movements. However, it applies massage therapy by releasing compressed air instead of touching the patient.

Adamo, along with Medtronic, Globus Medical, and Zimmer Biomet have embraced robotic innovations. This spine surgery development is designed to relieve chronic back pain caused by:

• Fractures
• Vertebral dislocations
• Spinal stenosis
• Sciatica

It is worth noting that your doctor will recommend robotic spine surgery when physical therapy, medication, and other non-surgical treatments fail to relieve back pain.

Benefits of Robotic Spine Surgery

1. Small Incisions: Surgical robots make small incisions to access the spine, meaning the trauma experienced by nearby tissues is minimal. There is also less risk of large, visible scars occurring after surgery.
2. Reduced Bleeding and Pain: Less trauma to surrounding tissues in the spine translates to less bleeding and pain during and after spinal surgery.
3. Lower Risk of Infection: Because robotic spine surgery requires smaller incisions that heal quickly, the risk of infection is minimal.
4. Short Recovery Time: After robotic spine surgery, incisions heal faster, requiring less downtime to recover.
5. Successful Surgical Outcome: Robotics provides accuracy during spine surgery, boosting efficiency in the outcome of the surgery.

3. Augmented Reality

Orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons are harnessing the power of augmented reality (AR) to streamline spinal surgery and back pain. Because AR technology provides 3D visuals that “see through” the skin and tissue, surgeons have better control and visualization during minimally invasive surgical procedures.

Simply put, AR technology combines computer-generated images with real-life visuals and uses glasses to provide spine surgeons with an X-ray vision of the spine area where the surgery is taking place. For example, during spinal fusion surgery, AR helps surgeons identify the exact spot on the spine to place the implants.

Spine Conditions Treated with Augmented Reality

AR-guided spine surgery helps treat a range of conditions that cause back pain. These include:

• Spinal stenosis
• Scoliosis or kyphosis (spinal deformity)
• Failed neck and back syndrome
• Disc degeneration
• Radiculopathy, or damaged nerve roots in the spine

Advantages of AR-Guided Spine Surgery

• Smaller incisions reduce trauma, bleeding, and pain during and after surgery.
• Accurate placement of spinal implants.
• More personalized surgical procedures.
• Enhanced control and visualization lead to simple, faster, and safer surgeries.
• Reduced exposure to radiation.

4. Virtual Reality

Spine specialists recommend different regimens for pain management, from resting to massage therapy and open surgery. For example, Dr. Claflin of Oklahoma says pain management can be made more manageable by using Botox treatment. Incorporating Botox treatment into spine pain management helps treat migraines linked to poor posture and chronic back pain.

Managing back pain, however, is challenging because not all treatments will work effectively for all patients. For this reason, spine specialists are turning to advanced technologies like virtual reality (VR) to provide lasting treatment.

VR delivers cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in an interactive technique to help patients understand their bodies and change their perceptions. For instance, instead of saying “I can’t” because you feel limited by back pain, VR and CBT help change your thoughts to “I can.”

How VR Relieves Back Pain 

It is worth noting that VR blocks the brain’s ability to register pain, thus allowing patients to expand their range of mobility. VR achieves this goal by creating an immersive, interactive, and three-dimensional world for its users. Doctors are using VR headsets to take patients on a virtual trip into the inner workings of their bodies. This helps patients understand their diagnosis and the available treatment methods.

A perfect example of VR treatment for back pain management is RelieVRx, formerly EaseVRx. This FDA-approved virtual reality treatment includes a VR headset, breathing amplifier, and controller. The breathing amplifier connects to the VR headset for deep breathing exercises, which are part of the treatment.

Patients using RelieVRx undergo an eight-week treatment plan that comprises 56 sessions. Each session takes two to sixteen minutes and can be done at home. VR therapy involves:

• Mindfulness exercises that address self-compassion.
• Breathing and relaxation techniques, which aim to promote healthy movement.
• Visual imagery and games that help educate patients on pain management.

The beauty of VR therapy is that it can be combined with other pain management treatments, such as physical therapy. It also reduces pain intensity and improves quality of life by reducing anxiety, depression, and opioid dependency.

5. Motion-Sensing Wearable Technologies

Care decisions for people with chronic back pain rely on evaluating patient discomfort. This strategy often leads to expensive tests and treatments that do not provide permanent solutions.

To help clinicians make better decisions on how to treat back pain, researchers from Ohio State University developed a digital health system that includes motion-sensing technology. According to the researchers, motion-sensing technology assists in evaluating low-back function and determining the next steps for treatment.

How Motion-Sensing Wearable Technology Works 

Motion-sensing wearable technology features sensors that provide quantitative data on a range of motion, movement velocity, and acceleration. The data on movement offers valuable information to understand how the spine functions, says William Marras, an executive director at the Spine Research Institute in Ohio.

Marras and his team retrofitted a wearable back sensor created 30 years ago with sensor chips. The wearable named Continy features a lower back (lumbar) motion monitor and sensors mounted on the waist and upper back harnesses. These sensors collect a person’s three-dimensional motion signatures when performing a series of movements. The data collected could help clinicians make informed decisions on spine pain management.

Wearable sensors by dorsaVI and medical technology giant Medtronic are another example of motion-sensing technology that could revolutionize spine care. In October 2022, dorsaVI announced the wearable sensor as being designed to provide better diagnostic insights for patients suffering from various spinal conditions. dorsaVI’s wearable sensors rely on custom-built AI algorithms to assess the quality of movement for patients with spine problems.

Conclusion

Advanced healthcare technologies are gaining traction in spinal care due to their capabilities to develop precise and less invasive procedures for pain management. Today, spine specialists leverage different technologies to diagnose and identify effective therapies, as well as predict treatment outcomes for patients with chronic back pain. Robotics, augmented reality, motion-sensing wearables, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and virtual reality are examples of innovative technologies revolutionizing spine pain management. As these technologies evolve, spine pain management will be more accessible and personalized, which are both great for spine healthcare.

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