What is the philosophy of the Sports Spine Centre?
Consistent with the most recent, evidence-based international guidelines, Aspetar’s Sports Spine Centre will prioritise the use of conservative non-pharmacological rehabilitation. The Sports Spine Centre will be among the first facilities in the world to offers a truly multi-dimensional, personalised management approach for athletes with spinal pain.
The initial step of this approach involves screening for serious underlying pathology (e.g. infection or malignancy). In these rare cases, suitable onward referral will be indicated. Thereafter, the remaining 95% of patients are managed by determining which precise mix of possible contributing factors are linked to their pain, rather than simply seeking to treat the symptom of pain alone. There are two stages to this approach
- First, all athletes undergo a comprehensive, multi-dimensional evaluation of the factors which might contribute to their pain. This can include traditional aspects such as evaluating the likelihood of underlying tissue strain or damage related to the pain, or examining physical characteristics such as posture and muscle activation. However, our evaluation also encompasses a wide range of other factors known to be linked to spinal pain such as: cognitive (e.g. thoughts, beliefs), emotional (e.g. mood, fears), lifestyle (e.g. sleep, stress) and physiological (e.g. training load, strength, obesity) factors.
- Second, the specific contributing factors identified for each person with spinal pain are then targeted in a manner which is evidence-based, and in line with the wishes and capacity of the person with spinal pain, and any other relevant stakeholders (e.g. coaches, medical team, employer). This approach has been shown to be effective in international research in which we have collaborated.