Flabbergasted, simply flabbergasted (as they sing in Sesame Street – yep, I’m old, but I do so appreciate some nostalgia). Not for a decade had I come across this faulty assumption. And there it was – the 3rd party’s first request in line with their request to provide an independent evaluation of an injured person was: Please address the following:
1. There was only $3627.84 worth of damage to the vehicle, indicating the severity of the impact.

OK, a 56-year-old person walks into a health clinic for further evaluation of their persistent low back pain. They reported being in a motor vehicle collision where a vehicle turned in front of theirs and despite their best attempts at braking, a frontal collision mechanism resulted. They did all the right things. They went to their doctor who encouraged them to keep moving, advised them to purchase some over-the-counter medications and referred them to physiotherapy.

I was blessed this week to have the opportunity to attend a Summit to address Alberta Insurance Reform. As you can imagine with different professionals who passionately believe in their personal profession, vibrant discussions were held. How Many People Fully Recover After a Motor Vehicle Collision Injury Was Sustained? One of the debates focusses on the approximately 20-30% of people (internationally across different jurisdictions) who fail to fully recover, two-years following a motor vehicle collision.

Here are a few stats for those interested in such. For those that aren’t, then enjoy the figure below. A picture tells a 1000 stories, so maybe that works for you. I was hit with a query last week from a ‘third party’ regarding the non-recovery of a person seeking further evaluation of their persistent pain that reportedly originated from a motor vehicle collision (MVC) approximately 18 months ago. Some doubt was cast on the veracity of the person’s complaints ‘given that everyone heals by 90 days’.

As many people are aware, the Government of Alberta is reviewing our current automobile insurance to make it more affordable and help stability in the long term. They commissioned two reports. The first report compared average premiums under different existing auto insurances – both across Canada, but also included jurisdictions in Australia. The second report examined the broader costs and benefits of the different models. What did the reports conclude?

It’s always a pleasure to catch up with friends. Even if you travel half the country to see people from your own backyard that you haven’t seen in 10 years! Yes, it was a Canadian Pain Society Meeting. I had not attended for several years, and it was a wonderful surprise to see the growth and enthusiasm on display. Likely due to the wonderful leadership of the president: Dr John Pereira.

Lumbar spine radiofrequency coagulation (RFC) is a technique that is not uncommonly used as a treatment to reduce pain arising from the lumbar spine facet joints – the articulations in the low back that allow a person to bend and move in different directions. Now, a physio blogging on RFC can be dangerous – not quite Michael Jackson Dangerous – as they don’t perform the procedures. However, after spending 5 years day and night following people pursuing RFC (actually in the neck region) during my PhD, I heard the good, the bad and the ugly, so here goes…

Well, well, well – I’m feeling all 1980 – a decade I absolutely loved…why – well, Another One Bites the Dust as the classics, or Queen says. Our clinic has been studious over the last 12 months in collecting data on patients to inform our treatment decisions. One of the questions that has always intrigued us relates to the social context of pain, and whether the social situations surrounding a person’s lived experience with pain influence their outcomes. So, rather than speculate we collected the data – yep, the nerds we are.

Well, when it rains, it pours it seems. Eddie Rabbitt, as I do, loved a rainy night back in the ‘80s. However, being a nerd, I also love getting news of an accepted publication. After a publication for PRP for neck pain was recently accepted, it was a pleasure to hear that a pilot project of ours investigating PRP for low back pain was also accepted for publication. The full publication can be found here. What Is Low Back Pain of Likely Disc Origin? Many structures in your back can be a source of pain.