Brett Rawlings - Spine Smart

03/06/2017

*There are many misconceptions associated with MDT, several of which are listed below:*

06/10/2016

Are you familiar with the imaging guidelines for low back pain? I found the following article a little surprising.

Chiropractors have been shown to refer for lumbar radiography in clinical scenarios inconsistent with the current clinical guidelines for low back pain. It is unknown whether this is due to lack of adherence with known guidelines or a lack of awareness of relevant guidelines. Therefore, the aim of t...

18/09/2016

A BIG thanks to everyone who attended today’s seminar on low back pain and sciatica, it was wonderful to see so many of you there and asking fantastic questions! And also thank you AACMA for organising the event.

I hope you all enjoyed the lecture and feel you got at least one thing you can start using with your patients, possibly even tomorrow!

Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions regarding the material or the assessment and treatment of musculoskeletal problems affecting the low back or neck.

Thanks again,

Brett :)

19/04/2016

This is well worth listening to if you’re considering surgery for pain, especially back pain. We should, however, be prepared to examine the evidence for all interventions, not only surgery.

Thanks to Jason Ward from Mechanical Care Forum and Professor Ian Harris.

in episode 113 I'm privileged to speak with Professor Ian Harris of Sydney, Australia. He's an orthopedic surgeon, a researcher and an author. Most recently he's authored Surgery: The Ultimate Placebo.

18/04/2016

People who suffer from back pain are often told they shouldn’t lift and are strongly discouraged from pursuing activities such as the deadlift, squat or the Olympic lifts.

Certainly, when you’re in the acute stage and still healing, a period of avoiding these activities may be necessary, however, lifting isn’t the issue, technique is.

I don’t profess to be an expert on Olympic lifting, squatting, or deadlifting, however, I do know that if your technique is correct and you gradually increase the load, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t reap the rewards provided by these wonderful exercises.

The footage of Tian Tao lifting 219kg is a beautiful example of technique. Pay particular attention to the position of his lumbar spine/low back and how he maintains a perfectly neutral spine.

http://www.allthingsgym.com/ Subscribe ►►► http://bit.ly/subatg Tian Tao 219 Clean & Jerk World Record Attempt Almaty 2014 World Weightlifting Championships ...

17/04/2016

Nice to see an ergonomic intervention being evaluated within a specific subgroup of low back pain sufferers (pain made worse with prolonged sitting). Just another example demonstrating the importance of identifying the specific movements, activities, and postures that aggravate pain.

Fit the treatment to the patient, not the patient to the treatment.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23438303

03/04/2016

If you're considering knee surgery, take look at this short video.

Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy is one of the most common orthopedic procedures, yet rigorous evidence of its efficacy is lacking.

09/03/2016

An interesting read for those applying evidence-based assessment and treatment. In addition to supporting the use of the cervical flexion-rotation test in the assessment of cervicogenic headache, it highlights the importance of passive testing or OP that gets patients to end range.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1179/2042618614Y.0000000085

(2015). The flexion–rotation test performed actively and passively: a comparison of range of motion in patients with cervicogenic headache. Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy: Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 61-67.

02/03/2016

I know it's old, but, it seems not much has changed.
If you have lower back pain or sciatica, know someone who does, or you treat people with these complaints, I'm sure you'll find this an eye-opening read. Just another endorsement for movement-based therapies like the McKenzie Method. If you have lower back pain or sciatica, do yourself a favor and find yourself a McKenzie Method therapist.
http://www.jabfm.org/content/22/1/62.long

Chronic back pain is among the most common patient complaints. Its prevalence and impact have spawned a rapidly expanding range of tests and treatments. Some of these have become widely used for indications that are not well validated, leading to uncertainty about efficacy and safety, increasing com…

11/02/2016

Review question: We reviewed the evidence that compares surgery versus non-surgical treatment for a condition called lumbar spinal stenosis. This condition occurs when the area surrounding the spinal cord and nerves becomes smaller. Background: People with lumbar spinal stenosis experience a range o…

20/11/2015

Movement is medicine
Just another example of how you can treat yourself. No need for regular treatment, just get moving!
This study compared the effect of Tai Chi and physical therapy and found "Tai Chi and PT (physical therapy) led to similar improvements in pain and other outcomes".