Semaglutide for Low Back Pain

Inclusion Criteria: * Ability to provide informed consent before any trial-related activities * Age: 18-85 years * Chronic low back pain, defined as an average low back pain severity of at least 4/10 present on most days for 3 months or longer. * BMI: 30-49 kg/m2 Exclusion Criteria: * Known or suspected allergy to trial medication(s), excipients, or related products * Contraindications to study medication(s), worded specifically as stated in the product's Prescribing Information * Previous randomization in this trial * Pregnant, breastfeeding, or the intention of becoming pregnant or not using adequate contraceptive measures * Low back pain related to infection, trauma, or malignancy * Plans to undergo new back pain interventions within 3 months. * Considering or have been offered surgery to treat structural disease believed to cause their low back pain, including infection, severe degeneration adjacent to a prior fusion, mobile spondylolisthesis, severe central lumbar stenosis, coronal or sagittal deformity, or other severe structural pathology diagnosed by a board-certified spine surgeon. Ambiguous cases will be adjudicated by a board-certified spine surgeon. * Another source of pain that is more severe than their low back pain (e.g., headache or radiculopathy) * History of or plans to undergo bariatric weight loss surgery * History of a major abdominal or stomach surgery that might affect drug absorption * Decrease in body weight of \> 5 kg within 3 months of screening * History of diabetes mellitus, with HbA1c \> 7 or requiring medical treatment (i.e., insulin or other diabetes medication other than Metformin). * Uncontrolled hypertension, defined as a systolic blood pressure (BP) \> 155 mmHg or a diastolic BP \> 100 mmHg * Clinically significant congestive heart failure, defined as New York Heart Association Class IV, or active symptoms related to heart failure, or exacerbation requiring hospitalization within 90 days of screening. * Any of the following: myocardial infarction, stroke, hospitalization for unstable angina pectoris, or transient ischemic attack within 90 days of screening. * Other medical conditions that could impact their treatment, similar to prior published reports * Treatment with oral or injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists within 3 months before screening * Active acute or chronic pancreatitis diagnosed within 180 days or history of unprovoked pancreatitis within the past year. * Stage 3 or worse chronic ki…