research CmCC research symposium Highlighting opportunities for DCs O n October 29-30, the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) held its 2011 Research Symposium, titled Cumulative Trauma Injury, and with a focus on disability management, injury prevention and care for illness attributed to the work environment. The weekend featured a formidable lineup of speakers that highlighted the progress of CMCC researchers in this field, but that also reached beyond CMCC walls – and indeed the profession – to harness the knowledge and work of an interdisciplinary group of North Ameri -can health scientists and clinicians. ovErviEw anD EPiDEmiology of work-rElatED CumulativE trauma Dr. Cam Mustard, a physician and president of the Institute of Work and Health, and Dr. Pierre Cote, a chiropractor and associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Toron -to’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, began the proceedings with an eye-opening overview of work-related non-traumatic injury. Along with citing the statistics characterizing these inju -ries and some of the more obvious factors responsible for them – ergonomic considerations, occupational requirements, etc. – both scientists made it clear that a variety of psychosocial factors also come into play in the formation and rehabilitation of cumulative traumas and in creating return-to-work strategies. a BiologiCal aPProaCh The event continued with presentations encompassing biomechanical, inflammatory and en -docrine contributions to cumulative trauma injuries. Dr. Mary Barbe, a neuroscientist from Temple University in Philadelphia, outlined her studies aimed at characterizing the short-term effects of repetitive and/or forceful tasks on musculoskeletal and neural pathologies with a focus on how inflammation increases sensorimotor dysfunction. CMCC’s own Dr. John Triano, professor and dean of graduate education, followed this with a discussion of the factors predisposing those with inflammation and/or impaired neuromus -cular control resulting from cumulative trauma to a reduction in thoracolumbar myofascial shear. New information shows these soft tissues are highly innervated and capable of sensing pain. This sheds new light on the potential for soft-tissue techniques and the ability to help those with chronic low back pain. Dr. Linda Woodhouse, associate professor at the faculty of rehabilitation medicine at Uni -versity of Alberta, spoke of hormones and endocrine systems and their contributions to cumu -lative trauma. Dr. Woodhouse called attention to the fact that people with certain endocrine changes might be more susceptible to cumulative trauma and how endocrine “dysregulation” may underlie more chronic health disorders than previously thought. These scientists drew parallels from their work at the bench to industries where workers are called upon to perform various physical tasks that may result in similar repetitive strains to those induced in their respective lab models. They emphasized the need for appropriate interventions at an early stage before tissue has the opportunity to degrade and/or before the brain solidifies any negative adaptive changes that will further compromise function and overall health. PsyChosoCial faCtors anD PrEvEntion Following this biologically based discussion, Dr. Linda Carroll, professor of epidemiology at the University of Alberta’s School of Public Health and adjunct professor at CMCC, discussed the psychosocial factors involved in cumulative trauma injuries. Dr. Carroll drew on the 30 • CANADIAN CHIROpRACTOR | DECEMBER 2011 www.canadianchiropractor.ca
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