Jessica J Wong

University of Toronto | U of T · Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Studies investigating long-term symptoms and disability after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) have yielded mixed results. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the prevalence of self-reported post-concussion symptoms (PCS) and disability following mTBI. We systematically searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, CENTRAL, and PsycIn...

Knowledge of the pre-rehabilitation generic status of functioning in individuals with low back pain is necessary to understand the clinical utility of rehabilitation care. We conducted a scoping review to describe the pre-rehabilitation functioning status of persons with nonspecific low back pain using the World Health Organization Disability Asses...

Objective: To update the systematic review from the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration and to evaluate the effectiveness of multimodal rehabilitation interventions for the management of adults with cervical radiculopathy. Study design: Systematic review and best-evidence synthesis. Methods: Eligible studies (...

Objective We conducted a systematic review to determine measurement properties and minimal important change (MIC) of World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) short (12 questions) and full (36 questions) versions in persons with non-specific LBP. Data Sources MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, APA-PsycInfo, CENTRAL (inception...

We assessed the joint effects of back pain and mental health conditions on healthcare utilization and costs in a population-based sample of Ontario adults. We included Ontario adult respondents of Canadian Community Health Survey between 2003-2012, followed to 2018 by linking survey data to administrative databases. Joint exposures were self-report...

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Sleep problems are common and may be associated with persistent pain. It is unclear whether non-pharmacological interventions improve sleep and pain in adults with comorbid sleep problems and musculoskeletal (MSK) pain. We conducted a systematic review on the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions on sleep characteristics among adults w...

Background Chiropractors have diverse views of practice, but the impact on their patient profiles and treatment approaches remains unclear. We assessed the association between chiropractors’ view of practice (unorthodox versus orthodox) and patient encounter-level characteristics among chiropractors who practice in Ontario, Canada. Methods We cond...

Introduction: We assessed the effect of self-reported back pain on health care utilization and costs in a population-based sample of Ontario adults. Methods: We conducted a population-based matched cohort study of Ontarian respondents aged ≥18 years of Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) from 2003-2012. CCHS data were individually linked to hea...

Background Study results vary on whether depressive symptoms are associated with worse prognosis for low back pain (LBP). We assessed the association between depressive symptoms or depression and health outcomes in persons with LBP.Methods We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO from inception to June 2020. Eligible studies were cohort an...

Purpose: The inter-rater reliability of the Quebec Task Force (QTF) classification system for Whiplash-Associated Disorders (WAD) remains unknown. Our objective was to determine the inter-rater reliability of the WAD classification between an experienced chiropractic clinician and two chiropractic residents. Methods: We conducted an inter-rater...

Objectives To develop an evidence‐based guideline for the non‐invasive management of soft tissue disorders of the shoulder (shoulder pain), excluding major pathology. Methods This guideline is based on high‐quality evidence from seven systematic reviews. Multidisciplinary experts considered the evidence of effectiveness, safety, cost‐effectiveness...

Background A small proportion of chiropractors, osteopaths, and other manual medicine providers use spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) to manage non-musculoskeletal disorders. However, the efficacy and effectiveness of these interventions to prevent or treat non-musculoskeletal disorders remain controversial. Objectives We convened a Global Summit...

We assessed the effect of back problems on healthcare utilization and costs in a population-based sample of adults from a single-payer health system in Ontario. We conducted a population-based cohort study of Ontario respondents aged ≥18 years of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) from 2003 to 2012. The CCHS data were individually linked t...

Objective We assessed long-term incidence and prevalence trends of dementia and parkinsonism across major ethnic and immigrant groups in Ontario. Methods Linking administrative databases, we established two cohorts (dementia 2001–2014 and parkinsonism 2001–2015) of all residents aged 20 to 100 years with incident diagnosis of dementia (N = 387,937...

We describe the implementation of brief action planning in conjunction with evidence‐based clinical practice guideline recommendations to improve self‐efficacy in a patient with psychosocial barriers and persistent nonspecific low back pain. We describe the implementation of brief action planning in conjunction with evidence‐based clinical practice...

Introduction Little is known about effective, efficient and acceptable management of back pain in children. A comprehensive and updated evidence synthesis can help to inform clinical practice. Objective To inform clinical practice, we aim to conduct a systematic review of the literature and synthesise the evidence regarding effective, cost–effecti...

Low back pain (LBP) is a high-burden condition that lacks routine surveillance data. Health administrative data may be used for surveillance, but their validity for measuring LBP in the general population has not been established. We aimed to (1) determine the validity of health administrative data to measure LBP compared to self-reported LBP in a...

Purpose: To update the findings of the Bone and Joint Decade 2000–2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders (Neck Pain Task Force) on prognostic factors for whiplash-associated disorder (WAD) outcomes. Materials and methods: We conducted a systematic review and best-evidence synthesis. We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CIN...

Objective: To develop an evidence‐based clinical practice guideline for the non‐pharmacological management of shoulder soft tissue disorders (shoulder pain). Methods: This guideline is based on seven systematic reviews. A multidisciplinary expert panel formulated recommendations based on evidence of effectiveness, safety, cost-effectiveness, societ...

Introduction Surgical rates for low back pain (LBP) have been increasing in Europe, North America and Asia. Many patients treated surgically will require postsurgical rehabilitation. Little is known about the effectiveness of postsurgical rehabilitation interventions on health outcomes or about patients’ experiences with these interventions. Objec...

Background: A considerable proportion of adults with low back pain (LBP) suffer from depressive symptoms or depression. Those with depressive symptoms or depression may be at risk of poorer LBP recovery and require more health care. Understanding the role of prognostic factors for LBP is critically important to guide management and health services...

Introduction Low back pain (LBP) is a leading cause of disability associated with high healthcare utilisation and costs. Mental health symptoms are negative prognostic factors for LBP recovery; however, no population-based studies have assessed the joint effects of LBP and mental health symptoms on healthcare utilisation. This proposed study will c...

Objectives There is no current detailed profile of people seeking chiropractic care in Canada. We describe the profiles of chiropractors’ practice and the reasons, nature of the care provided to their patients and extent of interprofessional collaborations in Ontario, Canada. Design Cross-sectional observational study. Setting Primary care settin...

The purpose of this study is to determine the reliability and validity of clinical tests used to assess cervical function, muscle strength and endurance in adults with neck pain and its associated disorders (NAD). Systematic review and update of the Bone and Joint Decade 2000–2010 Task Force on NAD. We systematically searched five electronic databa...

Purpose To determine the reliability and validity of self-reported questionnaires to measure pain and disability in adults with grades I–IV neck pain and its associated disorders (NAD). Methods We updated the systematic review of the 2000–2010 Bone and Joint Decade Task Force on Neck Pain and its Associated Disorders and systematically searched da...

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess long-term outcomes of a 6-week multimodal program (manual therapy, exercises, and self-management strategies) in patients with neurogenic claudication due to degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis. Methods: This study evaluated 49 patients with neurogenic claudication who completed a 6-week multimo...

Objectives To develop an evidence‐based guideline for the non‐pharmacological management of persistent headaches associated with neck pain (i.e., tension‐type or cervicogenic). Methods This guideline is based on systematic reviews of high‐quality studies. A multidisciplinary expert panel considered the evidence of clinical benefits, cost‐effective...

Objectives: We assessed trends in the incidence, prevalence, and post-diagnosis mortality of parkinsonism in Ontario, Canada over 18 years. We also explored the influence of a range of risk factors for brain health on the trend of incident parkinsonism. Methods: We established an open cohort by linking population-based health administrative data...

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of a government-regulated rehabilitation guideline compared with education and activation by general practitioners, and to a preferred-provider insurance-based rehabilitation programme on self-reported global recovery from acute whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) grade I–II. Design Pragmatic randomised clin...

Purpose: To determine the reliability and validity of clinical tests to assess posture, pain location, and cervical spine mobility in adults with grades I-IV neck pain and associated disorders (NAD). Methods: We systematically searched electronic databases to update the systematic review of the Bone and Joint Decade 2000–2010 Task Force on Neck Pai...

Purpose: The purpose of this review was to develop recommendations for non-invasive management of pain due to osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF) that could be applied in medically underserved areas and low- and middle-income countries. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and best evidence synthesis of systematic reviews on...

Purpose: Spinal disorders, including back and neck pain, are major causes of disability, economic hardship, and morbidity, especially in underserved communities and low- and middle-income countries. Currently, there is no model of care to address this issue. This paper provides an overview of the papers from the Global Spine Care Initiative (GSCI)...

Purpose: The purpose of this report is to describe the Global Spine Care Initiative (GSCI) contributors, disclosures, and methods for reporting transparency on the development of the recommendations. Methods: World Spine Care convened the GSCI to develop an evidence-based, practical, and sustainable healthcare model for spinal care. The initiati...

Purpose: Spine-related disorders are a leading cause of global disability and are a burden on society and to public health. Currently, there is no comprehensive, evidence-based model of care for spine-related disorders, which includes back and neck pain, deformity, spine injury, neurological conditions, spinal diseases, and pathology, that could b...

Objective: The purpose of this case study was to report the effects of multimodal therapy as an adjunct to oral contraceptives on pain and menstrual symptoms in a patient with primary dysmenorrhea. Clinical features: A 27-year old nulligravid and nulliparous woman presented with low back pain, thigh pain, and menstrual symptoms associated with p...

The World Federation of Chiropractic supports the involvement of chiropractors in public health initiatives, particularly as it relates to musculoskeletal health. Three topics within public health have been identified that call for a renewed professional focus. These include healthy ageing; opioid misuse; and women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ h...

Background Previous research has investigated utilization rates, who sees chiropractors, for what reasons, and the type of care that chiropractors provide. However, these studies have not been comprehensively synthesized. We aimed to give a global overview by summarizing the current literature on the utilization of chiropractic services, reasons fo...

Background: Neck pain and its associated disorders (NAD) are common in the general population. More than 80% of individuals experience NAD during their lifetime and 30-50% of the general adult population reports neck pain annually. An accurate diagnosis is necessary to guide patient management and inform prognosis. Clinicians require an approach th...

Objective: To determine the reliability and validity of clinical tests to assess the anatomical integrity of the cervical spine in adults with neck pain and its associated disorders. Methods: We updated the systematic review of the 2000-2010 Bone and Joint Decade Task Force on Neck Pain and its Associated Disorders. We also searched the literatu...

Background context Little is known about the effectiveness of multimodal care for individuals with whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) and neck pain and associated disorders (NAD). Purpose To update findings of the Bone and Joint Decade 2000–2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders and evaluate the effectiveness of multimodal care...

We conducted a systematic review of guidelines on the management of low back pain (LBP) to assess their methodological quality and guide care. We synthesized guidelines on the management of LBP published from 2005 to 2014 following best evidence synthesis principles. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane, DARE, National Health Ser...

Purpose To update findings of the 2000–2010 Bone and Joint Decade Task Force on Neck Pain and its Associated Disorders and evaluate the effectiveness of non-invasive and non-pharmacological interventions for the management of patients with headaches associated with neck pain (i.e., tension-type, cervicogenic, or whiplash-related headaches). Methods...

Purpose: To develop an evidence-based guideline for the management of grades I-III neck pain and associated disorders (NAD). Methods: This guideline is based on recent systematic reviews of high-quality studies. A multidisciplinary expert panel considered the evidence of effectiveness, safety, cost-effectiveness, societal and ethical values, and...

Study Design Systematic review. Background Acupuncture is a commonly used treatment for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs); however, little is known about the effectiveness of acupuncture therapies for the management of MSDs. Objective To summarize and evaluate the available research on the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture therapies for MSDs o...

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of passive physical modalities for the management of soft tissue injuries of the elbow. Methods: We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from 1990 to 2015. Studies meeting our selection criteria were eligible for critical appraisal. R...

Objective: The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of multimodal care for the management of soft tissue injuries of the shoulder. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from 1990 to 2015. Two independent revie...

Objective: The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of multimodal care for the management of soft tissue injuries of the lower extremity. Methods: We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from 1990 to 2015. Random pairs of independent revie...

Objective: The purpose of this systematic review was to determine the effectiveness of exercise for the management of soft tissue injuries of the hip, thigh, and knee. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and CINAHL Plus with Full Text from January 1...

Background context: In 2008, the Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and its Associated Disorders (Neck Pain Task Force) found limited evidence on the effectiveness of manual therapies, passive physical modalities, or acupuncture for the management of whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) or neck pain and associated disorders (NA...

Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of structured patient education for the management of musculoskeletal disorders and injuries of the extremities. Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from January 1, 1990 to March 14, 2015. Paired reviewers independently screened tit...

Background context: Whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) and neck pain and associated disorders (NAD) are prevalent conditions that impact society and impose a significant economic burden on health-care systems. Health economic evidence on WAD and NAD interventions has been sparse: only three economic evaluations of interventions for NAD were ident...

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) of the upper and lower extremities are common in the general population and place a significant burden on the health care system. Manual therapy is recommended by clinical practice guidelines for the management of these injuries; however, there is limited evidence to support its effectiveness. The purpos...

Background: Soft-tissue therapy is commonly used to manage musculoskeletal injuries. Objective: To determine the effectiveness of soft-tissue therapy for the management of musculoskeletal disorders and injuries of the upper and lower extremities. Design: Systematic Review. Methods: We searched six databases from 1990 to 2015 and critically a...

The purpose of this systematic review was to determine the effectiveness of passive physical modalities compared to other interventions, placebo/sham interventions, or no intervention in improving self-rated recovery, functional recovery, clinical outcomes and/or administrative outcomes (eg, time of disability benefits) in adults and/or children wi...

The purpose of this study was to critically appraise and synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of noninvasive interventions, excluding pharmacological treatments, for musculoskeletal thoracic pain. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cohort studies, and case-control studies evaluating the effectiveness of noninvasive interventions were eligible...

The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of exercise compared to other interventions, placebo/sham intervention, or no intervention in improving self-rated recovery, functional recovery, clinical, and/or administrative outcomes in individuals with musculoskeletal disorders and injuries of the elbow, forearm, wrist, an...

To determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of non-invasive interventions for temporomandibular disorders (TMD). We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Central register from 1990 to 2014 for effectiveness studies and the Cochrane Health Technology Assessment Database, EconLit, NHS Economic Evaluation Da...

To evaluate the effectiveness of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for the management of neck pain and associated disorders (NAD), whiplash-associated disorders, and non-specific low back pain (LBP) with or without radiculopathy. We systematically searched six databases from 2000 to 2014. Random pairs of independent reviewers criticall...

Soft tissue injuries of the leg, ankle, or foot are common and often treated by exercise. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of exercise for the management of soft tissue injuries of the leg, ankle, or foot. A systematic review of the literature was conducted. We searched five databases from 1990 to 2015. Relevant articles...

Background Context: In 2008, the lack of published evidence prevented the Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders (Neck Pain Task Force [NPTF]) from commenting on the effectiveness of psychological interventions for the management of neck pain. Purpose: This study aimed to update findings of the NPTF and...

Background: Shoulder pain is a common musculoskeletal condition in the general population. Passive physical modalities are commonly used to treat shoulder pain. However, previous systematic reviews reported conflicting results. Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of passive physical modalities for the management of s...

Objective We assessed the change in attitudes, knowledge, and perspectives of medical students towards chiropractic after a 1-hour educational intervention. Methods A mixed-methods approach was used with a 52-item cross-sectional paper survey and 1 focus group of third-year medical students. The views of these medical students towards chiropractic...

Sutton D, Côté P, Wong JJ, Varatharajan S, Randhawa K, Yu H, Southerst D, Shearer HM, van der Velde G, Nordin, Carroll LJ, Mior S, Taylor-Vaisey A, Stupar M.