ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATIONAL CENTRE FOR MULTIDISCIPLINARY STUDIES OF BACK PAIN: An Historical Overview

Spinal pain of mechanical origin, with or without referred pain, is a serious health problem suffered by many Australians. In order to help patients with this ailment, and to investigate this costly and debilitating condition, the National Centre for Multidisciplinary Studies of Back Pain was established at Townsville General Hospital as a joint venture between James Cook University of North Queensland and the Northern Regional Health Authority. The Centre has a multidisciplinary clinical team including a chiropractor. The Centre functions successfully, contributes to the public health of the community and shows that a multidisciplinary clinical team which includes a chiropractor can work harmoniously in an Australian hospital setting. The need for such a centre is demonstrated by an ever increasing demand for its professional services in Townsville as indicated by a review of the number of new patients and overall patient visits. The Centre could act as a model for the inclusion of chiropractic into the Australian hospital setting.