I went to a spine center for help with some chronic back pain I've been having. They asked me to fill out a form for some national spine network. I didn't do it because I don't want to get a lot of junk mail. What's the purpose of these surveys anyway?

The National Spine Network (NSN) is a group of spine care centers around the United States. They try to work together to collect data from patients and doctors to help understand back pain and how to treat it more effectively.

No one's name or contact information is given out. You can safely complete this information without fear of unwanted mail or phone calls.

Most of the time data is collected about symptoms, general health, use of medications, and satisfaction with care. The doctors also fill out a form on each patient with information about treatment, prognosis, and tests ordered.

Every week the surveys are sent to a central coordinating center. Data is entered into a main computerized database. This information can then be used in conducting research about spine problems. With over 60,000 patients entered the data can be very helpful just from the number involved.