MONDAY, 15 JULY 2024: HCF Research Foundation, Australia’s leading non-government funder of health services research, is supporting a groundbreaking three-year project led by Dr Rocco Cavaleri, Director of the Brain Stimulation and Rehabilitation (BrainStAR) Lab and Academic Program Advisor for the Physiotherapy department at Western Sydney University.

The study will explore a new, easy-to-use home treatment that aims to prevent acute back pain from becoming chronic. The project will test if this home-based therapy is safe, feasible, and effective at reducing early-stage low back pain.

If successful, the intervention could offer a transformative approach to managing and preventing chronic low back pain, a condition that costs the Australian health system $4.8 billion annually.¹

“By bringing neuromodulation technology into the home, we aim to make effective pain prevention accessible and affordable for all Australians,” Dr Cavaleri said.

The HCF Research Foundation’s commitment to funding the project underscores the importance of innovative solutions to significant health issues.

Chronic low back pain is the most common health reason forcing middle-aged Australians to retire early,² reducing Australia’s gross domestic product by more than $10.5 billion annually.³

For those living with the condition, the consequences can include long-term financial hardship. Data reveals women forced to retire early due to low back pain reach the age of 65 years with less than 10% of the wealth of their peers who remained in the workforce.⁴

“This study could pave the way for a new approach to pain management that prevents chronic pain before it takes hold, significantly improving quality of life for many,” said HCF Chief Officer Member Health, Julie Andrews.

Dr Cavaleri and his team will be recruiting 50 individuals with acute low back pain (onset within the last three months). Participants will undergo pain assessments, affective-emotional data collection, and functional evaluations.

They will be randomly assigned to either an active or placebo home-based neuromodulation protocol for two weeks, followed by re-assessments via online diaries and in-person visits at intervals up to three months post-intervention.

For more information please visit: https://www.hcf.com.au/about-us/hcf-foundation

ENDS

Media enquiries to:

Joni Thomes 0475 576 738 or jthomes@hcf.com.au

REFERENCES

1. Arthritis and Osteoporosis Victoria. A Problem Worth Solving: The Rising Cost of Musculoskeletal Conditions in Australia. Melbourne: Arthritis and Osteoporosis Victoria, 2013. [Cited Jan 2023.] Available from URL: https://www.msk.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/APWS.pdf  
2. Schofield DJ, Shrestha RN, Passey ME, Earnest A, Fletcher SL. Chronic disease and labour force participation among older Australians. Med. J. Aust. 2008; 189: 447–50.
3. Schofield D, Cunich MM, Shrestha RN et al. The indirect costs of back problems (dorsopathies) in Australians aged 45 to 64 years from 2015 to 2030: results from a microsimulation model, Health&WealthMOD2030. Pain 2016; 157: 2816–25.
4. Schofield D, Kelly S, Shrestha R, Callander E, Passey M, Percival R. The impact of back problems on retirement wealth. Pain 2012; 153: 203–10.

ABOUT THE HCF RESEARCH FOUNDATION
The HCF Research Foundation was established in 2000 as The HCF Health and Medical Research Foundation to fund health and medical research for the benefit of all Australians. In 2008 the focus was moved towards health services research, an area of research which does not receive large funding dollars from other sources. In 2013 the name was simplified to HCF Research Foundation and in 2015 a Corporate Trustee was established to manage the Foundation’s affairs. The HCF Research Foundation was originally established with a donation from The Hospitals Contribution Fund of Australia Limited (HCF). While HCF has donated money, the HCF Research Foundation operates independently and with specific focus on funding health services research that can benefit all 23 million Australians. To learn more about the Foundation go to hcf.com.au/about-us/hcf-foundation

ABOUT HCF
HCF, Australia’s largest not-for-profit health fund protecting Australians since 1932, covers almost 2 million members with health and life insurance, and travel, pet, home and car insurance. HCF has been awarded Outstanding Value Health Insurance by Canstar eight years in a row from 2016-2023. On average over the last ten years, HCF has paid out more cents in every dollar in premiums to members as benefits than the industry average. To learn more about HCF go to hcf.com.au/about-us