BJI RECAP EVENT: Neck and back pain
“The event really created space for blue sky thinking. I enjoyed brainstorming ideas and hearing different perspectives.”
Neck and back pain have long been among the leading causes of disability worldwide. Currently, approximately 2.4 billion people suffer from these conditions and could benefit from treatment and rehabilitation services — a figure that has more than doubled since 1990.
To address this growing crisis, experts are urgently seeking better solutions for neck and back pain. This was the focus of the first community engagement event hosted by the Research Engagement Collaborative Alliance with Partners (RECAP), in partnership with Western University’s Bone and Joint Institute in downtown London. The event brought together researchers, clinicians, industry leaders, community organizations, and patient advocates to share knowledge, develop new strategies, and forge partnerships to improve care for people living with neck and back pain.
Bringing Researchers and Community Together
“It was great seeing representation of different sectors at the event, particularly community partners like YMCA. I learned a lot.”
The event kicked off with a panel discussion, co-chaired by School of Physical Therapy’s Alison Rushton and Dave Walton. Panelists from diverse sectors shared their perspectives on the event's central theme, followed by breakout groups that explored opportunities and challenges such as learning about and accessing treatments and innovative ways to share information that would enhance personalized care and improve quality of life for billions of people.
Non-academic and academic experts participated in lively discussions before coming together again to hear summary reports. Among other insights, the reports highlighted the shared notion that meaningful progress in addressing neck and back pain will have to rely on three key factors: engaging diverse multi-sector partners, co-creating solutions, and coordinating advocacy efforts for greater impact.
“I appreciated gaining insight into what happens at the university, like challenges in launching research. Hearing students' perspectives was really interesting.”
Immediate next steps to be led by the BJI include: Creating a tool to share plain language summaries of key research articles for the public and clinicians Mapping groups with an interest in neck and back pain to expand collaborative interdisciplinary connections and partnerships Setting up regular and ongoing interactions for external partners and researchers to explore specific ideas and opportunities.
NEXT STEPS?
To learn more about BJI’s next step, to tell us about initiatives you are leading, or to express your interest in engaging with our researchers, please connect with our team at westerns.bji@uwo.ca.
RECAP’s second community engagement event was co-hosted with the Rotman Institute of Philosophy on October 4, 2024. Once again, the RECAP team brought together non-academic and academic experts to build connections and explore Artificial Intelligence (AI) for health and social justice. To learn about the next research engagement events, please subscribe to RECAP’s mailing list.
