A three-year National Institutes of Health grant totaling more than $1.2 million will fund a Virginia Commonwealth University study on the influence of genetic factors on pain perception and how this may contribute to an increased risk of chronic low back pain. "By identifying the mechanisms of the patient's pain, we can then use this information to tailor the patient's treatment plan," says principal investigator Angela Starkweather. The study will follow 220 participants with acute low back pain until their pain resolves, or until six months have elapsed.
