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Spinal complaints present the greatest social and economic burden of musculoskeletal conditions in Australia. This reflects current realities: the cause remains unknown; 80% of the population is affected; and isolated professions perform a staggering array of interventions. The CCRE aims to target these realities and improve Australia's capacity to prevent and manage spinal disorders by supporting innovative interdisciplinary research and training. This community- and university-based centre wil ....Spinal complaints present the greatest social and economic burden of musculoskeletal conditions in Australia. This reflects current realities: the cause remains unknown; 80% of the population is affected; and isolated professions perform a staggering array of interventions. The CCRE aims to target these realities and improve Australia's capacity to prevent and manage spinal disorders by supporting innovative interdisciplinary research and training. This community- and university-based centre will align highly successful clinical and basic researchers in collaboration with a national network of spine scientists to foster interdisciplinary clinical researcher training, develop new diagnostics and therapeutics, and translate findings to the community. Through clinical research the centre aims to: (i) Advance understanding of physiology and pathophysiology of spinal pain (ii) Translate findings from basic research to clinical practice (iii) Establish coordinated multidisciplinary research to reduce the burden of spinal pain (iv) Predict and prevent the transition from acute to chronic states (v) Train a new generation of transdisciplinary clinical scientists (vi) Rapidly assess new treatment possibilities in pre-clinical studies (vii) Develop innovative technologies for diagnostics and therapeutics (viii) Encourage Australian commercialisation opportunities for new discoveries (ix) Encourage community-user participation in direction of research programs (x) Disseminate new findings and information of evidence-based practice to patients, clinicians, insurers, government and the scientific and wider communityRead moreRead less
Effective Management Of Acute Whiplash Injuries Requires A Pragmatic Approach: An RCT With Stratified Treatments
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$382,550.00
Summary
Whiplash injuries from a motor vehicle crash continue to incur substantial personal and financial costs to the community and the insurance industry. The current approaches to an acute whiplash injury in Australia and internationally have failed to lessen the rate of how many people develop chronic neck pain. Between 40 and 60% still have pain 6 months after injury. Motor Accident Insurance Commission (Qld) figures indicate that 20% of patients with chronic whiplash account for 60% of the costs. ....Whiplash injuries from a motor vehicle crash continue to incur substantial personal and financial costs to the community and the insurance industry. The current approaches to an acute whiplash injury in Australia and internationally have failed to lessen the rate of how many people develop chronic neck pain. Between 40 and 60% still have pain 6 months after injury. Motor Accident Insurance Commission (Qld) figures indicate that 20% of patients with chronic whiplash account for 60% of the costs. Transition from an acute to a chronic condition must be prevented. A new direction in management in the acute stage is urgently required as once the pain has become chronic, it is difficult to help. This research will conduct a novel randomised controlled trial for acute whiplash. It will test individually prescribed multi-professional management against usual care with the aim to lessen the numbers who go on to develop chronic pain. It will be the first clinical trial that acknowledges from the outset that the whiplash injuries and affects people in different ways. Our previous research with acute whiplash patients has documented the variations in presentation from physical, physiological and psychological perspectives. In this trial, management will be prescribed as directed by measurable pain, muscle and psychological impairments in the individual, rather than regard all patients as the same as in other trials. This trial will offer individualised treatments; medical, physiotherapy and-or psychological using an empirically derived treatment algorithm. Cost-effectiveness of the program will be evaluated against that incurred during usual care. It is predicted that early multi-professional management will be less expensive in the long term than existing approaches. This RCT stands to extend knowledge in the management of whiplash associated disorders (WAD).Read moreRead less