Drs. Pradeep Suri and Janna Friedly (Co-Principal Investigators) were awarded $6.4 million from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) for a 5-year, multi-site randomized clinical trial entitled “A Superiority Trial of Radiofrequency Ablation for Low Back Pain”. This clinical trial is funded from September 4, 2024 through August 31, 2029. The goal of this trial is to compare lumbar radiofrequency ablation (LRFA) to a less invasive lumbar procedure that is an alternative to LRFA (steroid injections) to see which is more effective for treating chronic low back pain. Up to 300 participants with chronic low back pain who have already experienced significant pain relief from diagnostic nerve blocks will be enrolled from sites across the U.S. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: “conventional” or standard LRFA, multi-tined LRFA, or steroid injections, to treat their low back pain. After receiving treatment, participants will complete up to 4 surveys over the course of 1 year.
The Clinical Coordinating Center and Data Coordinating Center will be based at the University of Washington. The University of Utah, Cleveland Clinic, and Emory University will participate as clinical sites.