Research Initiatives (March 2021):
Post-surgical Rehabilitation for Low Back Pain
The rate of surgical procedures for treating low back and leg pain is increasing in Europe, North America, and Asia. These patients may require post-surgical rehabilitation; however, little is known about the effectiveness of these rehabilitative interventions. With joint funding by Eurospine, we have been working on a systematic review and meta-analysis to understand the effectiveness and safety of post-surgical rehabilitation interventions for adults with low back and leg pain treated surgically. We have also systematically reviewed qualitative studies to understand the experiences of patients, healthcare providers, caregivers or others involved with the rehabilitation. This review will guide researchers, clinicians, patients, and other decision-makers to improve outcomes in this population. We presented some results during a CCA webinar on March 4, 2021.
Rehabilitative Management of Back Pain in Children
Back pain begins early in life with physical, mental and social consequences (school-related, sporting activities, general physical activity, and well-being) that extend into adulthood. We have been working on a systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesize the evidence regarding effective, cost-effective and safe rehabilitation interventions for children with back pain to improve their functioning and other health outcomes. Findings from this mixed studies review will facilitate our understanding of a wide range of rehabilitation interventions for children with back pain.
Exploring Clinicians’ Experiences and Perceptions about Knowledge Development
Involving clinicians in developing evidence-based tools for clinical practice may result in increased uptake and improved patient outcomes. We developed a care pathway for the management of shoulder pain with clinician input. We then conducted a qualitative study to explore their experiences and perceptions about knowledge development. This work will help us to improve our processes in co-developing practice tools with clinicians. We also submitted our work for publication to facilitate the science of integrated knowledge translation – a strategy for accelerating the uptake and impact of research.