We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

Learn more about Indigenous Education and Cultural Services

Search the:

Apply Donate Crisis Centre

Global Spine Care Initiative (GSCI)

World Spine Care convened the GSCI to develop an evidence-based, practical, and sustainable healthcare model for spinal care. The initiative aims to improve the management, prevention, and public health for spine-related disorders worldwide; thus, global representation was essential. A series of meetings established the initiative’s mission and goals. Electronic surveys collected contributorship and demographic information, and experiences with spinal conditions to better understand perceptions and potential biases that were contributing to the model of care. -- from The Global Spine Care Initiative: methodology, contributors, and disclosures

The GSCI was led by Dr. Scott Haldeman. Many CDPR scientists and research associates were involved in the research, and CDPR’s Kristi Randhawa was the project manager. In 2018 the resulting articles were published in a special supplement (v. 27, supplement 6) of the European Spine Journal (subscription required).

CDPR contributions

Acaroğlu E, Mmopelwa T, Yüksel S, Ayhan S, Nordin M, Randhawa K, Haldeman S. The Global Spine Care Initiative: A consensus process to develop and validate a stratification scheme for surgical care of spinal disorders as a guide for improved resource utilization in low- and middle-income communities. Eur Spine J. 2018;27(Suppl 6):879-88.
Acaroğlu E, Nordin M, Randhawa K, Chou R, Côté P, Mmopelwa T, Haldeman S. The Global Spine Care Initiative: A summary of guidelines on invasive interventions for the management of persistent and disabling spinal pain in low- and middle-income communities. Eur Spine J. 2018;27(Suppl 6):870-8.
Ameis A, Randhawa K, Yu H, Côté P, Haldeman S, Chou R, Hurwitz EL, Nordin M, Wong JJ, Shearer HM, Taylor-Vaisey A. The Global Spine Care Initiative: A review of reviews and recommendations for the non-invasive management of acute osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture pain in low- and middle-income communities. Eur Spine J. 2018;27(Suppl 6):861-9.
Cedraschi C, Nordin M, Haldeman S, Randhawa K, Kopansky-Giles D, Johnson CD, Chou R, Hurwitz EL, Côté P. The Global Spine Care Initiative: A narrative review of psychological and social issues in back pain in low- and middle-income communities. Eur Spine J. 2018;27(Suppl 6):828-37.
Chou R, Côté P, Randhawa K, Torres P, Yu H, Nordin M, Hurwitz EL, Haldeman S, Cedraschi C. The Global Spine Care Initiative: Applying evidence-based guidelines on the non-invasive management of back and neck pain to low- and middle-income communities. Eur Spine J. 2018;27(Suppl 6):851-60.
Green BN, Johnson CD, Haldeman S, Kane EJ, Clay MB, Griffith EA, Castellote JM, Smuck M, Rajasekaran S, Hurwitz EL, Nordin M, Randhawa K, Yu H. The Global Spine Care Initiative: Public health and prevention interventions for common spine disorders in low- and middle-income communities. Eur Spine J. 2018;27(Suppl 6):838-50.
Haldeman S, Johnson CD, Chou R, Nordin M, Côté P, Hurwitz EL, Green BN, Cedraschi C, Acaroğlu E, Kopansky-Giles D, Ameis A, Adjei-Kwayisi A, Ayhan S, Blyth F, Borenstein D, Brady O, Brooks P, Camilleri C, Castellote JM, Clay MB, Davatchi F, Dunn R, Goertz C, Griffith EA, Hondras M, Kane EJ, Lemeunier N, Mayer J, Mmopelwa T, Modic M, Moss J, Mullerpatan R, Muteti E, Mwaniki L, Ngandeu-Singwe M, Outerbridge G, Randhawa K, Shearer H, Sönmez E, Torres C, Torres P, Verville L, Vlok A, Watters W, 3rd, Wong CC, Yu H. The Global Spine Care Initiative: Care pathway for people with spine-related concerns. Eur Spine J. 2018;27(Suppl 6):901-14.
Haldeman S, Johnson CD, Chou R, Nordin M, Côté P, Hurwitz EL, Green BN, Kopansky-Giles D, Cedraschi C, Aartun E, Acaroğlu E, Ameis A, Ayhan S, Blyth F, Borenstein D, Brady O, Davatchi F, Goertz C, Hajjaj-Hassouni N, Hartvigsen J, Hondras M, Lemeunier N, Mayer J, Mior S, Mmopelwa T, Modic M, Mullerpatan R, Mwaniki L, Ngandeu-Singwe M, Outerbridge G, Randhawa K, Sönmez E, Torres C, Torres P, Watters W, 3rd, Yu H. The Global Spine Care Initiative: Classification system for spine-related concerns. Eur Spine J. 2018;27(Suppl 6):889-900.
Haldeman S, Nordin M, Chou R, Côté P, Hurwitz EL, Johnson CD, Randhawa K, Green BN, Kopansky-Giles D, Acaroğlu E, Ameis A, Cedraschi C, Aartun E, Adjei-Kwayisi A, Ayhan S, Aziz A, Bas T, Blyth F, Borenstein D, Brady O, Brooks P, Camilleri C, Castellote JM, Clay MB, Davatchi F, Dudler J, Dunn R, Eberspaecher S, Emmerich J, Farcy JP, Fisher-Jeffes N, Goertz C, Grevitt M, Griffith EA, Hajjaj-Hassouni N, Hartvigsen J, Hondras M, Kane EJ, Laplante J, Lemeunier N, Mayer J, Mior S, Mmopelwa T, Modic M, Moss J, Mullerpatan R, Muteti E, Mwaniki L, Ngandeu-Singwe M, Outerbridge G, Rajasekaran S, Shearer H, Smuck M, Sönmez E, Tavares P, Taylor-Vaisey A, Torres C, Torres P, van der Horst A, Verville L, Vialle E, Kumar GV, Vlok A, Watters W, 3rd, Wong CC, Wong JJ, Yu H, Yüksel S. The Global Spine Care Initiative: World Spine Care executive summary on reducing spine-related disability in low- and middle-income communities. Eur Spine J. 2018;27(Suppl 6):776-85.
Hurwitz EL, Randhawa K, Torres P, Yu H, Verville L, Hartvigsen J, Côté P, Haldeman S. The Global Spine Care Initiative: A systematic review of individual and community-based burden of spinal disorders in rural populations in low- and middle-income communities. Eur Spine J. 2018;27(Suppl 6):802-15.
Hurwitz EL, Randhawa K, Yu H, Côté P, Haldeman S. The Global Spine Care Initiative: A summary of the global burden of low back and neck pain studies. Eur Spine J. 2018;27(Suppl 6):796-801.
Johnson CD, Haldeman S, Chou R, Nordin M, Green BN, Côté P, Hurwitz EL, Kopansky-Giles D, Acaroğlu E, Cedraschi C, Ameis A, Randhawa K, Aartun E, Adjei-Kwayisi A, Ayhan S, Aziz A, Bas T, Blyth F, Borenstein D, Brady O, Brooks P, Camilleri C, Castellote JM, Clay MB, Davatchi F, Dudler J, Dunn R, Eberspaecher S, Emmerich J, Farcy JP, Fisher-Jeffes N, Goertz C, Grevitt M, Griffith EA, Hajjaj-Hassouni N, Hartvigsen J, Hondras M, Kane EJ, Laplante J, Lemeunier N, Mayer J, Mior S, Mmopelwa T, Modic M, Moss J, Mullerpatan R, Muteti E, Mwaniki L, Ngandeu-Singwe M, Outerbridge G, Rajasekaran S, Shearer H, Smuck M, Sönmez E, Tavares P, Taylor-Vaisey A, Torres C, Torres P, van der Horst A, Verville L, Vialle E, Kumar GV, Vlok A, Watters W, 3rd, Wong CC, Wong JJ, Yu H, Yüksel S. The Global Spine Care Initiative: Model of care and implementation. Eur Spine J. 2018;27(Suppl 6):925-45.
Johnson CD, Haldeman S, Nordin M, Chou R, Côté P, Hurwitz EL, Green BN, Kopansky-Giles D, Randhawa K, Cedraschi C, Ameis A, Acaroğlu E, Aartun E, Adjei-Kwayisi A, Ayhan S, Aziz A, Bas T, Blyth F, Borenstein D, Brady O, Brooks P, Camilleri C, Castellote JM, Clay MB, Davatchi F, Dudler J, Dunn R, Eberspaecher S, Emmerich J, Farcy JP, Fisher-Jeffes N, Goertz C, Grevitt M, Griffith EA, Hajjaj-Hassouni N, Hartvigsen J, Hondras M, Kane EJ, Laplante J, Lemeunier N, Mayer J, Mior S, Mmopelwa T, Modic M, Moss J, Mullerpatan R, Muteti E, Mwaniki L, Ngandeu-Singwe M, Outerbridge G, Rajasekaran S, Shearer H, Smuck M, Sönmez E, Tavares P, Taylor-Vaisey A, Torres C, Torres P, van der Horst A, Verville L, Vialle E, Kumar GV, Vlok A, Watters W, 3rd, Wong CC, Wong JJ, Yu H, Yüksel S. The Global Spine Care Initiative: Methodology, contributors, and disclosures. Eur Spine J. 2018;27(Suppl 6):786-95.
Kopansky-Giles D, Johnson CD, Haldeman S, Chou R, Côté P, Green BN, Nordin M, Acaroğlu E, Ameis A, Cedraschi C, Hurwitz EL, Ayhan S, Borenstein D, Brady O, Brooks P, Davatchi F, Dunn R, Goertz C, Hajjaj-Hassouni N, Hartvigsen J, Hondras M, Lemeunier N, Mayer J, Mior S, Moss J, Mullerpatan R, Muteti E, Mwaniki L, Ngandeu-Singwe M, Outerbridge G, Randhawa K, Torres C, Torres P, Vlok A, Wong CC. The Global Spine Care Initiative: Resources to implement a spine care program. Eur Spine J. 2018;27(Suppl 6):915-24.
Nordin M, Randhawa K, Torres P, Yu H, Haldeman S, Brady O, Côté P, Torres C, Modic M, Mullerpatan R, Cedraschi C, Chou R, Acaroğlu E, Hurwitz EL, Lemeunier N, Dudler J, Taylor-Vaisey A, Sönmez E. The Global Spine Care Initiative: A systematic review for the assessment of spine-related complaints in populations with limited resources and in low- and middle-income communities. Eur Spine J. 2018;27(Suppl 6):816-27.