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Welcome to the Spinal Champion Community

A Spinal Champion is a person who has achieved an improved quality of life through spinal health care. You have come to a place for community, hope, and support.

Spinal Champions

A Spinal Champion is a person who has achieved an improved quality of life through spinal health care. Choose one of the spinal champions below to read their story or you can submit your own story of how you overcame your spine health condition.

Share Your Story
Lisa Marsh
Spinal Fusion
Claire Thornber
Cauda Equina Syndrome
Payton
Scoliosis
Necia
Scoliosis
Carrie
Disc Replacement, Spine Surgery
Aaron
Spinal Fusion, Veteran
Lauren
Spine Surgery
Mariel
Back Pain
Heather
Spine Surgery

Think you might be a Spinal Champion?

  1. Have you experienced back or neck pain for a significant period of time?
  2. Did your symptoms force you to seek treatment?
  3. Did you receive successful treatment that allowed you to overcome pain or get back to your life?
  4. Are you interested in providing advice and encouragement for others with your story?

Share Your Spinal Champion Story

Patients facing a debilitating back or neck condition can often feel lost, alone, and overwhelmed – but the road to recovery doesn’t have to be a lonely one. Our Spinal Champion program brings together individuals who have achieved improved quality of life through treatment for their neck or back pain to share their own stories of hope and provide encouragement to other patients. Spinal Champions help others find strength, comfort, and peer-to-peer support in a community that understands. We would like to share your story to help give hope to others. In your own words, please answer the following questions. Once your story is reviewed and accepted, we will send you a Spinal Champion lapel pin to the address that you provided.

We would also love to put a face with a name! Please include a headshot and/or action shot of yourself to include with your bio.
Please provide a 150-300 word story that covers your journey back to spine health. Please include:
  • A general timeline of events (month/year)
  • Diagnosis (if more than one, please list all)
  • When symptoms began and any precipitating events (e.g. an injury or accident)
  • When you sought treatment
  • The type(s) of treatment(s) you received
  • If you had surgery, what type of surgery and when was it
  • Description of the recovery process (including any physical therapy or additional treatments needed)
  • When you were able to resume your normal activities
A little bit about yourself
  • Occupation
  • Age when symptoms began
  • Activities you continue to enjoy
Check out the Get Back To It Podcast.
Learn about our Spinal Champion Advocates.
Signature
hereby irrevocably authorize the National Spine Health Foundation, its agents and assigns the unrestricted right to produce and use in any format (including the use of any electronic or similar media) including without limitation my voice, my person, likeness and/or medical devices that are used by me internally or externally (all such media representations sometimes referred to as my “likeness”). On behalf of myself, my personal representative and assigns, I transfer, and release any and all claims of ownership of the media representations of my likeness so produced to the National Spine Health Foundation to be used by them and their assigns for their exclusive use without any further consideration, or my prior approval. All such representations of my likeness may appear in any publications of the National Spine Health Foundation (electronic or print), including without limitation, the National Spine Health Foundation website, brochures, advertisements, and/or publications. I understand that all or a portion of any such likenesses may involve the disclosure and use of individually identifiable health information or other medical records; accordingly, this release is to be applicable to all information governed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). If you have any questions or concerns, please email Contact Patient Resources

Spinal Champion Advocates do not offer professional medical advice nor make diagnoses. Rather, they share their own patient experiences. They are not employees of the National Spine Health Foundation and their views do not necessarily reflect those of the National Spine Health Foundation. Spinal Champion Advocates may choose not to respond to patient messages that appear to be spam or abuse. They are not required to respond to patient messages and all conversations had are on a volunteer basis. If Advocates choose not to respond, they are encouraged to forward requests to the NSHF Program Manager.  The National Spine Health Foundation reserves the right to remove them from the Spinal Champion Advocate program at any time.