[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 200 (Thursday, December 22, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1339]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





     RECOGNIZING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL SPINE HEALTH 
                               FOUNDATION

                                  _____
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 22, 2022

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask that my colleagues 
join me in congratulating the National Spine Health Foundation on its 
20th anniversary.
  In 2019, according to the Center for Disease Control, about 39 
percent of the U.S. population suffered from chronic neck or back pain. 
Those numbers increased to 44.8 percent in adults below the federal 
poverty level. Back pain is also the number one cause of missed 
workdays, the leading cause of job-related disability and pain in the 
U.S., and the most common non-cancer related reason for an opioid 
prescription in the U.S. It is no small wonder that spine problems 
caused by inactivity and neglect during the COVID pandemic have 
resulted in increased opioid use for pain.
  The National Spine Health Foundation is the only national patient-
centered non-profit dedicated to helping patients overcome debilitating 
spinal conditions and take back their lives. During the past 20 years, 
the Foundation has developed award winning patient education, advocacy, 
and research to give patients the tools they need to make informed 
decisions about their spine health and navigate their own treatment 
journeys with confidence. It has been well documented that better-
informed patients have better outcomes. Knowledge is powerful medicine.
  The Foundation's Medical and Scientific Board includes 50 of the top 
spine specialists in the nation. These spine specialists provide their 
insight, knowledge, and expertise to help patients understand their 
options so they can make informed decisions concerning their spine 
wellness, problem prevention, and surgical and non-surgical treatments.
  The Foundation has proven their commitment to spine health research. 
Patient-reported outcomes have been part of the NSHF fabric since its 
inception. As they are deeply invested in supporting evidence-based 
healthcare decision-making, it is important that they take part in 
finding this evidence. Their trademarked cloud-based `Spine-online' 
research tool enables them to conduct multi-center studies and partner 
with research teams both in the U.S. and internationally, including 
active studies on robotic surgery, enhanced surgical recovery, 
augmented reality, stern cell therapy, and more.
  Madam Speaker, in the U.S. and globally, musculoskeletal conditions 
affect more people than any other condition. I ask that my colleagues 
join me in congratulating the National Spine Health Foundation's 20-
year commitment to all those individuals who suffer from spine and back 
issues.

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