De-implementing spinal injections in pursuit of value-based care: Rethinking pain relief

Despite guideline recommendations to the contrary, patients experiencing low back pain are commonly exposed to low-value care. Spinal injections for chronic low back pain are a key example of this disconnect. Their persistence highlights the broader challenge of removing low-value practices in pain care. Low-value interventions rarely fade with the introduction of new treatments; rather, their continued use reflects entrenched reimbursement incentives, provider training norms, and patient expectations. This Focus Article applies implementation science concepts to examine spinal injections as an obvious candidate for de-implementation away from existing practice patterns. Evidence of limited effectiveness and risks is summarized, alongside multilevel determinants that sustain ongoing use at the provider, patient, organizational, and system levels. A range of strategies is mapped to guide change and a four-step roadmap is presented to operationalize these concepts. Embedding de-implementation of spinal injections alongside implementation efforts for other pain management options reframes change as an intentional redesign of care delivery rather than a withdrawal of treatment. By redirecting resources away from ineffective procedures and toward evidence-based alternatives, de-implementation offers a proactive pathway to improve outcomes, enhance equity, reduce waste, and strengthen patient trust in pain management. PERSPECTIVE: This article applies an implementation science lens to spinal injections for chronic low back pain. By outlining barriers, strategies, and describing a practical roadmap, it reframes de-implementation as a proactive quality improvement approach that offers other viable treatment options while redirecting resources towards higher value treatment options for pain management.