Better late than never? Impact of delayed elective interventional pain procedures due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Despite the well documented importance and success of interventional pain procedures in the management of painful spine conditions, detractors have questioned their role as part of the care paradigm since their inception. One of the many unexpected consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States was the forced shut down of elective procedures in early 2020. This caused many patients suffering with pain, who had already been deemed appropriate for an interventional procedure to have to wait an extended period of time. This unprecedented period in modern healthcare provided the opportunity for a long term examination of how this cohort of patients suffering with pain faired while being forced to wait for pain relieving intervention, and to demonstrate the vital importance of these procedures for not only pain relief but for improvement in quality of life. This study will show that an overwhelming number of patients reported that their pain had not improved spontaneously over time, and were anxious to proceed with intervention once given the opportunity.