Kristi Randhawa

• Master of Public Health
• Epidemiologist at Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

Purpose Canadian Organization on Health Effects from Radiation Exposure (COHERE) is a government initiative to better understand biological and human health risks from ionizing radiation exposures relevant to occupational and environmental settings (< 100 mGy, < 6 mGy/hr). It is currently a partnership between two federal agencies, Health Canada (H...

Background The authors assessed the association between radon decay products (RDP) exposure and histologic types of incident lung cancer in a cohort of 16,752 (91.6% male) Eldorado uranium workers who were first employed from 1932 to 1980 and were followed through 1969–1999. Methods Substantially revised identifying information and RDP exposures w...

Background: Exposure to different forms of ionizing radiation occurs in diverse occupational, medical, and environmental settings. Improving the accuracy of the estimated health risks associated with exposure is therefore, essential for protecting the public, particularly as it relates to chronic low dose exposures. A key aspect to understanding h...

Driving posture can lead to musculoskeletal pain. Most work focuses on the lower back; therefore, we know little about automobile seat design and neck posture. This study evaluated an automobile driver seat that individualized upper back support to improve head and neck posture. Specifically, we examined the system’s impact on anterior head transla...

Purpose: The Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) framework, a systematic tool that can link available mechanistic data with phenotypic outcomes of relevance to regulatory decision-making, is being explored in areas related to radiation risk assessment. To examine the challenges including the use of AOPs to support the radiation protection community, an i...

Objective The purpose of this project was to investigate how well each member agency's standards complied with the Councils on Chiropractic Education International (CCEI) framework standards. Methods Each of the CCEI member agencies were provided with a mapping template that was approved by all representatives. A representative from each agency in...

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...

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...

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...

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: The purpose of this study was to develop a stratification scheme for surgical spinal care to serve as a framework for referrals and distribution of patients with spinal disorders. Methods: We used a modified Delphi process. A literature search identified experts for the consensus panel and the panel was expanded by inviting spine surgeo...

Purpose: The purpose of this review was to synthesize literature on the burden of spinal disorders in rural communities to inform the Global Spine Care Initiative care pathway and model of care for their application in medically underserved areas and low- and middle-income countries. Methods: A systematic review was conducted. Inclusion criteria...

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to synthesize recommendations on the use of common elective surgical and interventional procedures for individuals with persistent and disabling non-radicular/axial with or without myelopathy, radicular back pain, cervical myelopathy, symptomatic spinal stenosis, and fractures due to osteoporosis. This review...

Purpose: The purpose of this review was to describe psychological and social factors associated with low back pain that could be applied in spine care programs in medically underserved areas and low- and middle-income countries. Methods: We performed a narrative review of cohort, cross-sectional, qualitative and mixed methods studies investigati...

PurposeThe purpose of this review was to develop recommendations for the management of spinal disorders in low-income communities, with a focus on non-invasive pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies for non-specific low back and neck pain. Methods We synthesized two evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the management of low ba...

PurposeThis article summarizes relevant findings related to low back and neck pain from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) reports for the purpose of informing the Global Spine Care Initiative. Methods We reviewed and summarized back and neck pain burden data from two studies that were published in Lancet in 2016, namely: “Global, regional, and nat...

Purpose: The purpose of this systematic literature review was to develop recommendations for the assessment of spine-related complaints in medically underserved areas with limited resources. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and best evidence synthesis of guidelines on the assessment of spine-related complaints. Independent reviewers cri...

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop recommendations for prevention interventions for spinal disorders that could be delivered globally, but especially in underserved areas and in low- and middle-income countries. Methods: We extracted risk factors, associations, and comorbidities of common spinal disorders (e.g., back and neck pain...

Purpose The purpose of this report is to describe the development of a list of resources necessary to implement a model of care for the management of spine-related concerns anywhere in the world, but especially in underserved communities and low- and middle-income countries. Methods Contents from the Global Spine Care Initiative (GSCI) Classificat...

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 development of an evidence-based care pathway that can be implemented globally. Methods: The Global Spine Care Initiative (GSCI) care pathway development team extracted interventions recommended for the management of spinal disorders from six GSCI articles that synthesized the available evid...

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: The purpose of this report is to describe the development of a classification system that would apply to anyone with a spine-related concern and that can be used in an evidence-based spine care pathway. Methods: Existing classification systems for spinal disorders were assembled. A seed document was developed through round-table discuss...

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 review was to identify risk factors, prognostic factors, and comorbidities associated with common spinal disorders. Methods A scoping review of the literature of common spinal disorders was performed through September 2016. To identify search terms, we developed 3 terminology groups for case definitions: 1) spinal pai...

Search strategy used for the literature search. (DOCX)

Risk factors, associations, and comorbidities for spinal syndromes. (DOCX)

Risk factors and comorbidities for spinal tuberculosis. (DOCX)

PRISMA checklist for the reporting of this literature review. (DOC)

Risk factors, associations, and comorbidities for neck pain. (DOCX)

Risk factors, associations, and comorbidities for arthritic spinal disorders. (DOCX)

Risk factors, associations, and comorbidities for low back pain. (DOCX)

Risk factors, associations, and comorbidities for traumatic spinal disorders. (DOCX)

Risk factors, associations, and comorbidities for metabolic spinal disorders. (DOCX)

Risk factors, associations, and comorbidities for congenital spinal disorders. (DOCX)

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 Soft tissue injuries to the lower limb bring a substantial health and economic burden to society. Physical agents are commonly used to treat these injuries. However, the effectiveness of many such physical agents is not clearly established in the literature. Objective To evaluate the effectiveness and sa...

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...

Study Design Systematic review. Background Little is known about the effectiveness of acupuncture therapies for musculoskeletal disorders. Objective To assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture therapies for musculoskeletal disorders of the extremities. Methods We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Central Register...

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...

Exercise is a key component of rehabilitation for soft tissue injuries of the shoulder; however its effectiveness remains unclear. Determine the effectiveness of exercise for shoulder pain. We searched seven databases from 1990 to 2015 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cohort and case control studies comparing exercise to other interventions...

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: Rural populations are at an elevated risk of gastrointestinal illness, as they are dependent on private groundwater sources, and water quality remains the responsibility of the owner. Previous research suggests that only a minority of well water owners test their wells for bacteriological contamination. The aim of this study was to use...

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.

In 2008, the Neck Pain Task Force (NPTF) recommended exercise for the management of neck pain and whiplash-associated disorders (WAD). However, no evidence was available on the effectiveness of exercise for grade III neck pain or WAD. Moreover, limited evidence was available to contrast the effectiveness of various types of exercises. To update the...

Purpose: We conducted a systematic review to critically appraise and synthesize literature on the effectiveness of work disability prevention (WDP) interventions in workers with neck pain, whiplash-associated disorders (WAD), or upper extremity disorders. Methods: We searched electronic databases from 1990 to 2012. Random pairs of independent re...