Patients randomized to the taper group will have baseline pain score, opioid medication use, and patient reported outcomes 4-6 weeks prior to elective thoracolumbar, lumbar, or lumbosacral spinal fusion surgery. They will receive a scheduled tapering protocol, with a goal of 10-15% reduction in their weekly opioid use, along with weekly phone calls from a study coordinator assessing their ability to taper and pain scores. After surgery, they will receive 6 weekly phone calls from the coordinator, to assess their postoperative opioid medication use and pain scores. At the 6th week phone call, and 3 month and 6 month clinic postoperative clinic visits, they will also repeat patient reported outcome measures.

Patients randomized to the control group will have baseline pain score, opioid medication use, and patient reported outcomes 4-6 weeks prior to elective thoracolumbar, lumbar, or lumbosacral spinal fusion surgery. They will receive no recommendation or guidance in their preoperative opioid pain medication use, but will received weekly phone calls from a study coordinator assessing their preoperative pain scores. After surgery, they will receive 6 weekly phone calls from the coordinator, to assess their postoperative opioid medication use and pain scores. At the 6th week phone call, and 3 month and 6 month clinic postoperative clinic visits, they will also repeat patient reported outcome measures.

Guided weekly opioid pain medication reduction via telephone calls prior to elective spinal fusion surgery.

Weekly average opioid medication use in morphine equivalent dosage (MED)

Generic measure of average back pain, scale 0-10 with 0 being no pain and 10 being the most pain experienced.

PROMIS computer adaptive testing: global health, physical function, pain interference, pain behavior, depression, anxiety, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and satisfaction with social roles and activities.