HMC raises awareness of spinal health

Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Bone and Joint Center in conjunction with the Orthopedic Surgery Department is raising public awareness of spinal health.
“Spinal disorders and injuries are very common and can affect people of all ages. The most common cases we see are due to degenerative changes in the spine. In this case, people experience lower back and neck pain which can have a profound effect on a person’s ability to work or conduct simple daily activities, said Dr Abdul Moeen Baco, Senior Consultant Orthopedics and Spine Surgery and Program Director of Spine Fellowship for Hamad General Hospital (HGH).
Research shows that poor posture and inactivity are major contributors to the development of back pain and other spinal disorders. As a result, degenerative changes to the spine are the most common amongst people treated at HMC.
“People experiencing any severe pain in their back should request a referral to the Bone and Joint Center through their Primary Health Care Center (PHCC) or a related subspecialty in order to ensure the best possible outcome. Here, they will be assessed and cared for by a dedicated healthcare team specialising in delivering outpatient services to spine injury, paediatric, adult spinal deformity and degenerative spine disease ,” said Dr Baco.
HMC’s highly qualified Orthopedic Surgery Department also performs surgeries on patients suffering from more complex spinal disorders commonly found in cancer, infection and trauma patients.
The Bone and Joint Center in conjunction with the Orthopedic Surgery Department recently hosted the third Annual Spine Conference to highlight the latest diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in the management of spinal disorders.
It was attended by 250 health care professionals, including residents, specialists, consultants, neurosurgeons, radiologists, general practitioners and other allied health professionals who took part in lectures and hands-on workshops exhibiting best practices in physiotherapy and orthotics.