The Emergence of National Spine Care
In the beginning…
In 2002, the Calgary Health Region established Physician Partnership Steering Committees to improve health care delivery. At that time, wait lists for a patient to see a spinal neurosurgeon for pain-related back or neck problems were two to three years long. In response, the University of Calgary Spine Program created an integrative health care team approach. Various health care disciplines with expertise in helping patients with spine-related health concerns worked together to properly assess, triage and treat the patients on this waitlist. Having access to a variety of health care providers in one setting allowed efficient collaboration of services to determine the best treatments for the patient. If the problem required surgery, then the surgeon was consulted. If the problem was better-managed conservatively (no surgery), then those treatments could be quickly and efficiently coordinated and initiated by the other members of the team.
Integrated health care
Our initial integrative health care team was comprised of spinal neurosurgeons, a chiropractor, a physiatrist (physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist) and a physiotherapist. The chiropractor and physiotherapist received the necessary additional training with the physiatrist and spine surgeons to enhance their diagnostic and management knowledge and skills. This team began training together and seeing patients at the neurosurgical clinic in the Foothills Medical Centre. This program quickly outgrew the confines of hospital setting and was moved into the community.
Multidisciplinary care improved health care delivery
Within the first eighteen to twenty four months of implementing this program, wait lists to obtain a focused surgical consultation were reduced by approximately 70%. Patients requiring surgery were seen sooner and those who had back and neck problems that did not require surgery gained rapid access to the most appropriate or effective integrated conservative treatment programs.
Conservative treatment for back and neck problems
Although initially created to improve access to surgical specialists, National Spine Care’s approach to helping people experiencing back and neck problems has evolved. In those early days, it became readily apparent that the vast majority of back and neck problems did not require surgery. The additional training the chiropractors and physiotherapists gained by working alongside specialists gave them the expertise to provide leading edge conservative treatment solutions.
Since the early days, National Spine Care has always lobbied on behalf of its patients to pursue the most effective and non-surgical options. This quest for truly integrated care has fostered ongoing relationships with other health care providers including orthopedic surgeons, spinal neurosurgeons, physiatrists, pain management specialists, physiotherapists and other chiropractors. To the benefit of patients, this streamlined and integrated treatment allowed National Spine Care to evolve into a true multidisciplinary clinic.
While our clinic maintains a close working relationship with our surgical colleagues at the University of Calgary Spine Program, the current focus of National Spine Care is to bring knowledge and expertise to the active, Calgary community. Our unique integrated health care approach provides timely access to the most appropriate conservative, non-surgical treatments for back and neck pain.
Prevention and Wellness
We help people get out of pain and then work with them to teach them what they can do to help themselves. Once you are out of pain, the focus shifts to preventing future problems and continually improving your health so you can do the activities you love.
Details of our various treatment approaches can be found under Treatments or Back2Back rehabilitation solutions.
For more information, or to book an initial consultation, you can Contact us or call 403-270-7252.