Grant recipient: Kevin Wernli, APAM

Project title: Does changing movement matter? Understanding the relationship between changes in movement, pain, activity limitation and psychological factors in persistent low back pain

Year awarded: 2017

PRF grant: Project Grant

Snapshot: Kevin and his colleagues are currently investigating the relationship between lumbar spine movement and LBP during a 22 week project where participants are fitted with cutting edge wearable sensors that measure how they perform everyday tasks such as sitting, bending and lifting, while pain, function and psychological factors are also measured.

Benefits to the profession: Kevin believes that this research will lead to the refinement of treatment approaches for the management of LBP, thereby providing better and more efficient care and improved outcomes for people with LBP.

The next steps: Kevin is starting to analyse data and doing some preliminary presentations, with a view to completing the research and aiming to publish the results in mid to late 2019.