SpineOne™ Solutions
SpineOne™ Care Pathways
SpineOne ™ Care Pathways
Statistics show less than five percent of back and neck pain patients need surgical intervention. SpineOne delivers specialized care, empowering each person toward long-term, ongoing functioning and work continuation.
A dedicated multidisciplinary back pain service should have the following criteria (according to Gordon Waddell, M.D., prominent proponent, author and investigator of the biopsychosocial model and author of the Back Pain Revolution). Treatment must:
- Be led by a specialist with expertise in back pain rehabilitation
- Include distinct referral patterns
- Include organization, staffing and resources focused on pain management and rehabilitation
- Provide facilities for: diagnostic triage and investigation; clinical, psychological and occupational assessment; pain control; an active exercise, functional restoration, and rehabilitation program; counseling; and occupational or vocational rehabilitation
At SpineOne, we offer this in our comprehensive care addressing the needs of individuals at each stage of treatment. Our Care Pathways include:
- Primary Care Pathways (Acute), 0 to 8 weeks
- Secondary Care Pathways, 2 months post-injury
- Tertiary Care Pathway, 4 months post-injury and beyond
Primary Care Pathway: 0 to 8 weeks
A new low-back or neck pain onset or short, but recurrent problem won’t likely demand intense intervention. Simple advice will suffice: stay active and resume normal activities. Those not recovering may see the medical physician for prescription medication. SpineOne Primary Care Pathway helps those not resuming normal activities, who may have additional treatment recommendations such as manipulation, passive modalities for pain control or McKenzie® Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy instruction.
Secondary Care Pathways: 2 months post-injury or for some patients with a chronic injury
SpineOne Secondary care is available for people that enter the subacute (8 to 12 weeks post-injury) or chronic phase (greater than 12 weeks post-injury). Treatment is more intense for these individuals, as some de-conditioning may have occurred. We take an active exercise approach. We rely on active exercise methods rather than ineffective methods such as heat packs and massage treatment. Active therapies provide long-lasting benefits. We offer multiple treatment options at this stage to get patients back into action, minimizing time-intensive therapy and doctor visits.
A secondary program is appropriate for non-work related and work-related back or neck pain patients. Secondary care treatment options include:
- Documentation Based Care (DBC) Active Back Care
- Work Conditioning and core spine stabilization exercise
- Quantifiable functional assessment and goals
- Cognitive behavioral approach
- McKenzie Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy
- Formal cognitive behavioral classes
- Medical lectures
- Medically supervised physical rehabilitation
- Medication optimization
- Long-term graduate outcomes monitoring
Tertiary Care Pathway: 4 months post-injury and beyond
SpineOne Tertiary Care Pathway is the most intense level of assessment and treatment, since individuals may be off work or struggling to stay at work, have severe de-conditioning, significant distress and difficulty coping after absence from work for so long. Patients may also be depressed and/or anxious from living in pain for protracted periods.
We determine whether or not an individual will likely benefit from our interdisciplinary treatment approach by performing a comprehensive assessment given by a medical specialist, licensed clinical psychologist and spine specialized therapist. Following this assessment, the team may recommend a less intensive program if a full program is not necessary for optimal results. This is a unique option for patients, physicians and payors. Most functional restoration programs only offer a full tertiary program. A secondary program may be the optimal treatment dose for some patients, including post-surgical patients. We match the patient with their correct service level, and our interdisciplinary evaluation places individuals in the proper program based on need.
The tertiary program has three, four-week phases with a comprehensive 12-week program, each stage covering varying intensity levels. It is similar to the secondary program, offering the addition of an interdisciplinary team and more intensive time and resources to get patients back on track.
Our Tertiary Care Program includes:
- Medically supervised functional restoration
- Weekly interdisciplinary team conferences
- Quantifiable functional assessment and goals
- Documentation Based Care (DBC) Active Back Care
- Work Conditioning/work hardening and core spine stabilization
- Cognitive behavioral approach
- McKenzie Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy
- Formal cognitive behavioral classes
- Individual psychological counseling
- Medical and nutritional lectures
- Medication optimization
- Family counseling
- Vocational guidance from a vocational rehabilitation specialist
- The Back on Track Program helping graduates maintain and optimize long-term results
- Long-term graduate outcomes monitoring
For more information on one of our comprehensive interdisciplinary assessments, functional restoration programs or treatments, please contact Dr. Darrell Bruga or Julie Dunne at 408.264.1021.
