SPINE-WORK creates and fosters a multidisciplinary, scientifically and culturally diverse network of researchers from across the spectrum of approaches to understand force-based manipulations and spine pain.

The high priority research areas are:

1) Terminology and measurement of force-based manipulations (FBMs): The goal is to bridge language gaps that exist among clinicians, basic scientists, and engineers (e.g., stress, stiffness);

2) Mechanistic, multiscale research into mechanisms of FBMs: The goal is to encourage interdisciplinary collaborations that foster the creation of new knowledge across scales from the single cell to the whole spine;

3) Biomarkers of FBMs: The goal is to encourage discovery of biomarkers, such as anatomical, mechanical and imaging, that could be used to identify good candidates for FBMs;

4) Diversity and Health Disparity: The goals are to promote diversity in FBM/spine research, to identify social and racial disparities in spine pain and spine pain treatment, and to pursue opportunities to overcome those disparities.