Chronic low back pain affects millions of people worldwide and limits their ability to lead an active life. Traditional treatments, such as physical therapy and pain relievers, only provide temporary relief. The Dutch company Qmedic and Flemish Codevid are working with the support of CrossRoads Flanders-Netherlands on a personalized therapy that not only treats the symptoms, but also tackles the root of the problem.
Stimuli on the nervous system
In as many as 85% of patients with chronic low back pain, the exact cause remains unknown. This makes back pain a complex problem, which is why many treatments focus on symptom management, without addressing the underlying cause. The need to address chronic pain at its core is essential to improving patients' quality of life. That core is the nervous system.
Qmedic has developed a device (the Liveve SSRT neurostimulator) that analyzes the response of the central nervous system to specific stimuli. Where abnormalities are found, the device triggers the nervous system, a kind of 'reset', allowing the body to step out of the vicious circle of chronic pain. Each treatment is tailored to the patient's unique neurological response.
From clinic to living room
To achieve this, Qmedic is now working together with Codevid. In this project, we combine Qmedic's existing SSRT (Selective Synapse Reset) technology with new AI models. On the one hand, we will develop a device for follow-up treatment and measurements in the home situation and, on the other hand, we will build a platform that seamlessly integrates all data. Based on real-time insights, we monitor the patient's progress and automatically adjust the treatment.
Impact
Chronic low back pain affects 1 in 20 people and places a heavy burden on both the patient and the healthcare system. In the Netherlands and Belgium, an average of €18,000 per patient is spent annually on treatments and additional social costs. An efficient home solution like this offers more than just pain relief: it relieves the healthcare system and increases the quality of life. Thanks to advanced technologies such as AI and cloud-based data storage, we can track patients' progress in real-time and optimize treatment pathways. This creates a personalized approach, and we contribute to the digital transformation of healthcare.
*Crossroads is a cross-border grant facility within the European programme Interreg Flanders-Netherlands. Crossroads aims to stimulate sustainable cross-border cooperation on promising innovation projects between SMEs in Flanders and the southern Netherlands.
