UPMC Program for Spine Health Patient Stories

After being referred to the program by her physician in 2019, CF spoke with our team at the UPMC Program for Spine Health a day later and expressed that she had tried physical therapy, injections, steroids, and surgery in the past to try to help her back pain, but nothing had worked. Given her difficulty finding relief, CF met with PM&R physician Christopher John Standaert, MD. Leaving her first appointment relieved and teary-eyed, CF said, “I’m so happy that someone has finally listened to me and feel like there’s hope now to help my back pain.”

As she continued sessions with our physical therapist, pain psychologist, and dietitian, she became more aware of how her back pain affected her overall health. She fully engaged in her care, learned our strategies, and became motivated to feel better. After moving more easily, experiencing less pain, and finding more energy within herself, CF became independent again and continues to practice positive lifestyle changes by using the skills she learned to stay active and healthy.

After trying several methods to alleviate her back pain, and being unable to find something that worked, MH visited the UPMC Program for Spine Health with a referral from her doctor in early 2020. Upon arrival, she filled out a few questionnaires that are repeated throughout the program to track each patient’s progress toward their goals. As our program prides itself on using motivational interviewing techniques and active listening, identifying appropriate resources for each patient, and making clear how much we care about their health, MH left her first appointment feeling hopeful for the first time in a long time.

“My goal of travelling to New Orleans for Mardi Gras actually seems attainable now,” she expressed (a goal that she did in fact meet). MH met both in person and virtually with her physical therapist and health coach, losing about ten pounds in eight weeks and finding herself well on her way to achieving the healthy overall lifestyle she needed to help relieve her back pain. Today, she continues to practice what she learned to stay energized, motivated, and positive in a life with much less pain.

RC, an active 44-year-old male, developed sudden back pain during the summer of 2018. Caught off guard, RC initially visited an emergency department and later saw a chiropractor and orthopaedic surgeon, tried prescribed injections and opioids, and experienced no permanent relief. After a consultation with the orthopaedic surgeon nearly a year after his initial pain, she referred him to our team at the UPMC Program for Spine Health. Together with Dr. Standaert, director of our program, RC decided that physical therapy with our primary spine provider physical therapist would be best.

RC shared, “I was initially afraid that any movement would cause me more pain, but I quickly developed trust and began making progress. Then I could really see the possibility of playing golf again.” Throughout the program, RC was supported by telemedicine appointments with the pain psychologist and was able to identify anxiety associated with his pain, set realistic goals, focus on acknowledging accomplishments, and decrease negative and self-critical thinking. He also worked with the health coach to develop a plan to increase and maintain his level of activity while prioritizing his spine health. While RC described his back pain as a 9.33/10 in September 2019 when he arrived for his first appointment, he reported a 1.66/10 in June 2020 at his last visit. RC has been enjoying golf ever since and can now carry out what he learned on his own.