Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

New research has found that hormone therapy could prove to be a useful treatment option against chronic low back pain.

Although the study was conducted in mice, researchers were optimistic about the findings. For the study, researchers used three mouse models to replicate common sources of spinal degeneration:

• Natural aging
• Mechanical instability
• Genetic susceptibility

When exploring these three models, researchers were able to learn more about spinal bone structure and nerve growth, as nerve pain is a primary driver of discomfort in many patients dealing with spinal degeneration. Dr. Janet L. Crane, from the Center for Musculoskeletal Research, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and lead author of the study, said that when spinal degeneration occurs, pain-sensing nerves oftentimes grow into regions where they don’t normally exist, amplifying their likelihood of being irritated and sending pain signals to the brain. Her team wanted to learn more about how parathyroid hormone (PTH), which has already been studied for its ability to reduce bone-related pain, could play a role in managing spinal degeneration-related nerve pain.

“Our findings show that parathyroid hormone can reverse this process by activating natural signals that push these nerves away,” said Dr. Crane.

Not only did PTH treatments significantly reduce abnormal nerve fiber expansion, but mice treated with the hormone showed clear improvements in the density and stability of their vertebral endplates – the thin layers of bone that separate spinal discs from vertebrae. Additionally, mice treated with PTH showed reduced pain sensitivity, better tolerance to pressure and were more active than the control group.

The findings suggest that new hormonal treatment may eventually be an option for patients with certain types of chronic low back pain caused by spinal degeneration, but first researchers will need to see similar results in human trials. However, Crane and her team noted that the findings are a step in the right direction for finding another potential treatment to patients battling chronic back pain.

“Our study suggests that PTH treatment of LBP during spinal degeneration may reduce aberrant innervation, laying the foundation for future clinical trials exploring the efficacy of PTH as a disease-modifying and pain-relief treatment for spinal degeneration,” Dr. Crane concluded.

For now, if you’re hoping to get a handle on your back pain, connect with a specialist who can view your issue in person and develop a treatment plan tailored to your unique needs. In the greater Twin Cities area, we hope you’ll connect with Dr. Sinicropi and the team at Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.

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