Reducing Disability Caused by Musculoskeletal Pain
Most Canadians suffer from musculoskeletal pain at least once in their lifetime. For many, the effect of the pain is short-lived. However, one in 10 Canadians experience disability because of musculoskeletal pain every year. Whether related to work, traffic collisions or normal activities of daily life, the personal and economic impacts of musculoskeletal disability are extremely burdensome and costly to individuals and society.
Why some people become disabled and others do not is a question that has puzzled health care providers, policymakers and researchers for years. Dr. Pierre Côté, Canada Research Chair in Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation, is aiming to answer that question and to develop strategies that limit the consequences of musculoskeletal disability.
Doing so is difficult because musculoskeletal disability is a health condition that is broader than diseases or medical diagnoses. Its development is influenced by individual and societal perceptions, beliefs and attitudes. Therefore, untying the disability knot requires a comprehensive research perspective that extends from the lab to the community.
Côté is studying the causes of musculoskeletal disability to develop effective interventions that will prevent or limit the detrimental consequences of musculoskeletal pain. He is also championing collaborations across health disciplines to develop relevant solutions for the public, patients, health care providers and decision-makers.
Côté’s research will enable those involved in disability management to make evidence-based decisions about the prevention of disability. It will also equip clinicians and policymakers with effective approaches to rehabilitate people with musculoskeletal disability and allow them to live fulfilling lives.