Katie de Luca

• B App Sci (Ex & Sp Sci); M Chiro; PhD
• Associate Professor at Central Queensland University

Objectives: The aims of this study were to (1) report the prevalence and explore the influence of spinal pain on quality of life and (2) assess the relationship between spinal pain and the type and number of comorbidities. Methods: This cross-sectional study comprised 579 community-dwelling, older Australian women. Women had "spinal pain" if the...

OBJECTIVE The aim of the review was to appraise clinical practice guidelines and their recommendations for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis. METHODS PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched up until 25/01/2020 for clinical practice guidelines on the management of lumbar spinal stenosi...

In 2019, musculoskeletal conditions were estimated to be the leading cause of YLDs in Australia (20.1%). There were 7,219,894.5 (95% UI: 6,847,113–7,616,567) prevalent cases of musculoskeletal conditions and 685,363 (95% UI: 487,722–921,471) YLDs due to musculoskeletal conditions. There were 2,676,192 (95% UI: 2,339,327–3,061,066) prevalent cases o...

Objective: To describe outcome measurement instruments and outcome domains in randomised controlled trials of any interventions for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Design: Systematic review. Literature search: The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and PubMed were searched from inception to May 2020. Study selection criter...

Objective To determine consensus among an international, multidisciplinary group of experts regarding definitions of spinal osteoarthritis for research and for clinical practice. Methods A 15‐member, multidisciplinary steering committee generated 117 statements for a 3‐round Delphi study. Experts in back pain and/or osteoarthritis were identified...

Background Diagnostic imaging is commonly used in the management of low back pain (LBP), with approximately one-quarter of those who present to primary care referred for imaging. Current estimates of imaging frequency commonly exclude older adults; however, pathology detected with imaging (e.g., osteoporosis, cancer) may occur more frequently in ol...

Objectives: In this study, the trends and current situation of the injury burden as well as attributable burden to injury risk factors at global, regional, and national levels based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 are presented. Study design: To assess the attributable burden of injury risk factors, th...

Background Despite the well-known benefits of physical activity, physical inactivity is presently a global health pandemic. Allied healthcare providers, such as chiropractors, knowingly recognise the importance of physical activity and are prepared to routinely discuss and/or counsel patients on this topic; however, little is known about Australian...

Background Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important follow...

Background Neck pain is a highly prevalent condition that leads to considerable pain, disability, and economic cost. We present the most current estimates of neck pain prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs) from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) by age, sex, and location, with forecasted prevalence to...

Objective Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of a three‐month physiotherapist‐delivered eHealth physical activity program compared with usual care to improve function in adults with low back pain or knee osteoarthritis in rural Australia. Methods This was a parallel, two‐group, pragmatic, superiority, randomized controlled trial invol...

Objectives Developing a research agenda is one method to facilitate broad research planning and prioritise research within a discipline. Despite profession-specific agendas, none have specifically addressed the research needs of the specialty of sports chiropractic. This study determined consensus on research priorities to inform a global sports ch...

Background Musculoskeletal disorders include more than 150 different conditions affecting joints, muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, and the spine. To capture all health loss from death and disability due to musculoskeletal disorders, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) includes a residual musculoskeletal category...

Introduction The increasing prevalence of coexisting health conditions poses a challenge to healthcare providers and healthcare systems. Spinal pain (eg, neck and back pain) and spinal pathologies (eg, osteoporotic fractures and degenerative spinal disease) exist concurrently with other non-spinal health conditions (NSHC). However, the scope of wha...

Background Pregnancy-related low back and/or pelvic girdle pain is common, with a prevalence rate of up to 86% in pregnant women. Although 19.5% of Australian pregnant women visit a chiropractor for pelvic girdle pain, little is known about the experience of pregnant women who seek this care. The aim of this study was to describe and explore the ex...

Although the number of publications focusing on low back pain in older adults (LBP-O) and working-age adults (LBP-W) has been growing for decades, comparative research trends in these two populations, which may help to guide future investigation, have not been rigorously explored. This analysis aimed to describe publication patterns and trends of r...

Background Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease associated with disability and premature death. Up-to-date estimates of the burden of rheumatoid arthritis are required for health-care planning, resource allocation, and prevention. As part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021, we...

Background Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis in adults, characterised by chronic pain and loss of mobility. Osteoarthritis most frequently occurs after age 40 years and prevalence increases steeply with age. WHO has designated 2021–30 the decade of healthy ageing, which highlights the need to address diseases such as osteoarthriti...

Background: A comprehensive understanding of temporal trends in the disease burden in Australia is lacking, and these trends are required to inform health service planning and improve population health. We explored the burden and trends of diseases and their risk factors in Australia from 1990 to 2019 through a comprehensive analysis of the Global...

Background Low back pain is highly prevalent and the main cause of years lived with disability (YLDs). We present the most up-to-date global, regional, and national data on prevalence and YLDs for low back pain from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2021. Methods Population-based studies from 1980 to 2019 identified i...

Background: Low back pain is highly prevalent and the main cause of years lived with disability (YLDs). We present the most up-to-date global, regional, and national data on prevalence and YLDs for low back pain from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2021. Methods: Population-based studies from 1980 to 2019 identified...

Objective: Spinal osteoarthritis is difficult to study and to diagnose, partly due to the lack of agreed diagnostic criteria. This systematic review aims to give an overview of the associations between clinical and imaging findings suggestive of spinal osteoarthritis in patients with low back pain to make a step towards agreed diagnostic criteria....

Background: Despite the well-known benefits of physical activity, physical inactivity is presently a global health pandemic. Allied healthcare providers such as chiropractors knowingly recognise the importance of physical activity and are prepared to routinely discuss and/or counsel patients on this topic. Little however is known about Australian c...

Spinal pain and chronic health conditions are highly prevalent, burdensome, and costly conditions, both in the United States and globally. Using cross-sectional data from the 2016 through 2018 National Health Interview Survey (n = 26,926), we explored associations between spinal pain and chronic health conditions and investigated the influence that...

Low back pain and depression have been globally recognized as key public health problems and they are considered co-morbid conditions. This study explores both cross-sectional and longitudinal comorbid associations between back pain and major depression in the adult population in the United States. We used data from the Midlife in the United States...

Background In Australian emergency departments, 30% of all back pain presentations are for older adults. Relatively little is known about the care that this population receives during an emergency department stay, including admission to hospital. The aim of this study is to describe emergency department management of older adults diagnosed with a l...

Access the full text version of the article here: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2665-9913(23)00098-X/fulltext

Background Physical inactivity is a global health pandemic. Allied healthcare providers, including chiropractors, are well placed to integrate individual physical activity (PA) promotion into routine care. A previous systematic review identified that approximately 90% of chiropractors held a positive opinion towards healthier patient lifestyles; ho...

Background To report the national prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs) and attributable risk factors for all musculoskeletal conditions and separately for low back pain (LBP), as well as compare the disability burden related to musculoskeletal with other health conditions in Australia in 2019. Methods Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019...

Background Regular physical activity is effective for preventing and managing depression; however, only a few studies have assessed physical activity using device-based measures. We aimed to examine the association between device-based total physical activity and late-life depressive symptoms and explore which factors may explain this relationship....

A growing body of evidence has shown that people with chronic low back pain (CLBP) demonstrate significantly greater declines in multiple cognitive domains than people who do not have CLBP. Given the high prevalence of CLBP in the ever-growing aging population that may be more vulnerable to cognitive decline, it is important to understand the mecha...

Chiropractors often use manual therapy to manage musculoskeletal conditions. This thesis is comprised of two studies to explore forces delivered using common chiropractic treatment techniques. The first study is a review of the literature that quantifies force magnitudes of high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulative therapy. The second study...

Background Pregnancy-related low back and/or pelvic girdle pain is common, with a prevalence of pelvic girdle pain at 44% in Australian women. Although 20% of Australian pregnant women visit a chiropractor for pelvic girdle pain, little is known about the experience of pregnant women who seek this care.The aim of this study was to explore and descr...

Background The prevalence of low back pain increases with age and has a profound impact on physical and psychosocial health. With increasing age comes increasing comorbidity, and this also has pronounced health consequences. Whilst exercise is beneficial for a range of health conditions, trials of exercise for low back pain management often exclude...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Fibromyalgia and generalized pain represent a global health problem and are distinct musculoskeletal disorders, but there is an overlap in the clinical presentation between these conditions. However, no study has compared pain characteristics between patients with fibromyalgia and patients with generalized pain. Therefore,...

Background The unprecedented impact of COVID-19 on healthcare professionals has implications for healthcare delivery, including the public health guidance provided to patients. This study aims to assess the response and impact of COVID-19 on chiropractors internationally, and examines the public health response of chiropractors to the COVID-19 pand...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is responsible for an increasing number of deaths worldwide. Smoking is the most reliable predictor for developing COPD later in life. However, women make up the majority of patients with COPD who have never smoked. There is therefore a need to identify other factors that can predict COPD in women. The a...

Objective: The aim of this study is to describe the attitude of Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) chiropractic students toward the International Clinical and Professional Chiropractic Education Position Statement and evidence-based practice (EBP) beliefs. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to all the UQTR chiropractic...

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: Fibromialgia e dor generalizada representam um problema de saúde global e são distúrbios musculoesqueléticos distintos, mas há uma sobreposição na apresentação clínica entre essas condições. Entretanto, nenhum estudo comparou as características da dor entre os pacientes com estas condições. Portanto, o presente estudo tev...

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

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

Background Spinal mobilization and spinal manipulation are common interventions used by manual therapists to treat musculoskeletal conditions in older adults. Their force-time characteristics applied to older adults' thoracic spine are important considerations for effectiveness and safety but remain unknown. This study aimed to describe the force-t...

Introdução: A fibromialgia e a dor generalizada são predominantes nas condições de saúde musculoesquelética. Fibromialgia e dor generalizada são distúrbios musculoesqueléticos distintos, mas há uma sobreposição do quadro clínico entre essas condições. No entanto, nenhum estudo comparou as características da dor entre pacientes com fibromialgia e pa...

Background Musculoskeletal conditions are the primary reason older adults seek general medical care, resulting in older adults as the highest consumers of health care services. While there is high use of chiropractic care by older adults, there is no recent, specific data on why older adults seek chiropractic care and how chiropractors manage condi...

Background: Radiographic guidelines aim to increase the diagnostic yield of clinically relevant imaging findings whilst minimising risk. This study assessed the appropriateness of radiographic referrals made by student chiropractors and explored the association between guideline appropriate imaging and clinically significant radiographic findings....

The Chiropractic Academy for Research Leadership (CARL) was formed in 2016 in response to a need for a global network of early career researchers and leaders in the chiropractic profession. Thirteen fellows were accepted competitively and have since worked together at residentials and virtually on many research and leadership projects. In 2020, the...

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...

Background Manual therapy is a cornerstone of chiropractic education, whereby students work towards a level of skill and expertise that is regarded as competent to work within the field of chiropractic. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, chiropractic programs in every region around the world had to make rapid changes to the delivery of manual therapy te...

Background Chiropractic students demonstrate philosophically opposing views about the chiropractic profession. The primary aim was to describe chiropractic students’ responses to statements about chiropractic identity, role, setting, and future direction. A secondary aim was to describe the frequency of internally conflicting responses. Methods Th...

Objective: To pilot a pretest-posttest study of spinal manipulation on improving function and symptomatology in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Methods: Participants received spinal manipulation at the chiropractor’s discretion. Data were collected at baseline, midpoint and final visits. Objective data included timed-up-and-go, sit-to-s...

Background: Low back pain is a common condition among older adults that significantly influences physical function and participation. Compared to their younger counterparts, there is limited information available about the clinical course of low back pain in older people, in particularly those presenting for chiropractic care. Improving our unders...

Objectives The aim of the review was to appraise clinical practice guidelines and their recommendations for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis. Methods PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched up until 25/01/2020 for clinical practice guidelines on the management of lumbar spinal stenosi...

Objective: The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of studies to determine whether sitting time measured objectively (by laboratory controlled time trial, direct observation, or wearable sensor) is associated with the immediate increase in low back pain (LBP) (determined by pain scale rating) in people >18 years of age. Metho...

Background: Whilst half of all Australian chiropractors report often treating athletes, there is insufficient evidence to characterise the sports chiropractor in Australia. Objective: To perform a workforce survey of Sports Chiropractic Australia (SCA) members. Methods: A 74-item web-based questionnaire collected information about practitioner...

Background Musculoskeletal pain frequently occurs in more than one body region, with up to 80% of adults reporting more than one joint pain site in the last 12 months. Older people and females are known to be more susceptible to multiple joint pain sites, however the association of multisite joint pain with physical and psychosocial functions in th...

Background Approximately 60% of people with low back pain also have associated leg pain symptoms. Guidelines for low back pain recommend non-pharmacological approaches, including spinal manipulation - a therapy provided by chiropractors. However, limited empirical data has examined the characteristics of chiropractors managing patients with low bac...

Background: Low back pain is a common condition among older adults that significantly influences physical function and participation. Compared to their younger counterparts, there is limited information available about the clinical course of low back pain in older people, in particularly those presenting for chiropractic care. Improving our underst...

Background: Approximately one in four adults do not meet the World Health Organisation physical activity recommendations. While health promotion (i.e., physical activity) is common within chiropractic settings, little is known about chiropractors discussing this public health issue with their patients. The aim of our study is to examine the preval...

Objective To examine the prevalence and profile of chiropractors who frequently manage people aged 65 years and older. Methods A national cross‐sectional survey collected practitioner characteristics, practice settings and clinical management characteristics. Multiple logistic regression was conducted on 1903 chiropractors to determine the factors...

Objective To determine the prevalence and clinical management characteristics of chiropractors practising in urban and rural or remote Australia. Design A cross‐sectional analysis of the Australian Chiropractic Research Network project data. Setting Nationally representative sample of registered chiropractors practising in Australia. Participant...

Objective To explore qualitative insights into the pain experience of older women with quantitatively derived pain profiles. Methods The sequential mixed methods design involved applying quantitative pain profiles, derived from an earlier latent class analysis, to qualitative comments by a sample of older Australian women with arthritis. Data from...

Objectives A range of health-care professionals including chiropractors provide treatment for sports-related health problems. This study reports analyses from the first national workforce survey to determine practitioner and practice-related factors associated with the frequent treatment of athletes or sports people by Australian chiropractors. De...

Objective: To determine effects of thrust manipulation plus one conservative intervention for non-surgical shoulder pain and disability due to rotator cuff dysfunction. Methods: This review followed PRISMA guidelines. The databases searched were PubMed, PEDro, ICL, CINAHL, and AMED. Included were randomized trials with at least one group assigne...

Objectives: The aims of this study were: 1) to report the prevalence and explore the influence of spinal pain on quality of life and 2) assess the relationship between spinal pain and the type and number of comorbidities. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 579 community-dwelling, older Australian women. Women had “spinal pain” if they marked ‘ye...

Objective: To evaluate Australian and New Zealand chiropractic students' opinions regarding the identity, role setting, and future of chiropractic practice. Methods: An online, cross-sectional survey was administered to chiropractic students in all chiropractic programs in Australia and New Zealand. The survey explored student viewpoints about t...

In an evidence-based health care environment, healthcare professions require a sustainable research culture to remain relevant. At present however, there is not a mature research culture across the chiropractic profession largely due to deficiencies in research capacity and leadership, which may be caused by a lack of chiropractic teaching programs...

The term 'spinal pain' collectively includes the cervical, thoracic and lumbosacral regions of the spine. The majority of older people experience spinal pain, and with an increasing proportion of older people, the prevalence of spinal conditions are expected to increase in the coming decades. Musculoskeletal conditions of the spine in the older pat...

Objectives: The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review of the literature of the effectiveness and safety of manual therapy interventions on pain and disability in older persons with chronic low back pain (LBP). Methods: A literature search of 4 electronic databases was performed (PubMed, EMBASE, OVID, and CINAHL). Inclusion criteri...

Purpose: Although many conservative management options are available for patients with non-surgical shoulder conditions, there is little evidence of their effectiveness. This review investigated one manual therapy approach, thrust manipulation, as a treatment option. Methods: A systematic search was conducted of the electronic databases from inc...

The objectives were to identify subgroups of women with arthritis based upon the multi-dimensional nature of their pain experience and to compare health and socio-demographic variables between subgroups. A latent class analysis of 227 women with self-reported arthritis was used to identify clusters of women based upon the sensory, affective, and co...

Objective. To estimate the prevalence and examine the associations of neuropathic-like pain in a community-based sample of older Australian women with arthritis. Design. Population based cross-sectional survey. Setting. Participants were recruited from the 1946-1951 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women’s Health. Subjects. Women with...

To investigate the motivations, challenges and perceptions of the educational environment of emerging researchers in chiropractic. A descriptive web-based survey of higher-degree chiropractic research students was performed between October and November 2013. The survey consisted of open and closed questions and the Dundee Ready Education Environmen...

The objective of the study was to perform a systematic review to identify and appraise outcome measures and measures of pain that are used to assess the experience of pain by older people with osteoarthritis, and to assess whether these measures are effective at capturing the multidimensional nature of the experience of this pain. A systematic revi...

Aims: Pain catastrophizing is the exaggeration of pain due to injury or illness. The presentation of neuropathic pain in arthritis is a relatively new research area and the aim of this study is to explore whether women who have arthritis and neuropathic pain catastrophize more than women who have arthritis, but do not have neuropathic pain. Metho...

Aims: There is emerging evidence for a neuropathic pain (NP) mechanism in arthritis pain. The effect of having arthritis and NP on quality of life has not been investigated. The aim of this study is to explore the effect of NP on quality of life outcomes in women with arthritis. Methods: 700 women from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Womens...

Background Arthritis is a significant contributor to illness, pain and disability and imposes a considerable burden upon the community. Pain is a cardinal symptom of arthritis and has significant implications on biopsychosocial wellbeing. The multidimensional nature of the experience of pain in arthritis has not been well defined in community-based...

To determine the short-term effectiveness of full kinematic chain manual and manipulative therapy (MMT) plus exercise compared with targeted hip MMT plus exercise for symptomatic mild to moderate hip osteoarthritis (OA). Parallel-group randomized trial with 3-month follow-up. Two chiropractic outpatient teaching clinics. Convenience sample of eligi...

Objective The purpose of this systematic review is to discuss the evidence for manipulative methods of management of shoulder pain and chiropractic management techniques used within the literature.MethodsA literature search of MEDLINE, CINAHL, MANTIS, the Cochrane Musculoskeletal Group trials register and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register was...

Our objective is to document the methodology of a randomized controlled clinical trial that demonstrates sound research methodology. The chiropractic treatment performed may be useful to allow practitioners to adopt a similar approach when treating hip osteoarthritis. This study is a registered, ethics-approved, single-blinded, randomized controlle...

The purpose of this systematic review is to discuss the evidence for manipulative methods of management of shoulder pain and chiropractic management techniques used within the literature. A literature search of MEDLINE, CINAHL, MANTIS, the Cochrane Musculoskeletal Group trials register and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register was conducted. Sear...

Hip osteoarthritis (HOA) affects 30 million Americans or more, and is a leading cause of disability, suffering, and pain. Standard treatments are minimally effective and carry significant risk and expense. This study assessed treatment effects of a chiropractic protocol for HOA. Eighteen individuals, who did not qualify due to low baseline Western...

Osteoarthritis is the most common musculoskeletal disorder, estimated to affect 3 million Australians. Previous studies support structured exercise programs and manipulation for hip osteoarthritis; however, no trials have examined treatment of the lower limb kinetic chain. The purpose of this case series was to report hip range of motion and pain s...

In New South Wales, Australia, an injured worker enters the workers compensation system with the case often managed by a pre-determined insurer. The goal of the treating practitioner is to facilitate the claimant to return to suitable duties and progress to their pre-injury status, job and quality of life. Currently, there is very little documentat...