Clinical Studies

Our current studies:

Quebec Low Back Pain Core Study (QLBP Core) and Quebec Low Back Pain Biobank (QLBP Biobank)

Low back pain (LBP) is reported by approximately 20% of North Americans, the majority of whom experience both pain and physical impairment. Patients with chronic LBP have an increased utilization of medical services, and higher incidence of lost workdays and long-term disability, representing a significant burden to the healthcare system and the economy. 

To better understand why some people recover from acute episodes of pain and/or respond to some treatments while other do not, we have established a province-wide online database for longitudinal studies of individuals with acute and chronic LBP (Core). The Core Database is not only a valuable research tool by itself but can also facilitate recruitment for a series of affiliated projects, including the QLBP Biobank, where biological samples are collected. The collection of biological samples (i.e. blood samples and saliva) from people suffering with LBP and from healthy controls will allow the investigation of genetic, epigenetic, and proteomic markers that are linked to LBP diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. 

This study has been reviewed and approved by the Research Ethics and Compliance (IRB) committee of the Faculty of Medicine of McGill University (protocol number: NUMBER: A08-M23-18A). 

To participate in the Quebec Low Back pain study:

 

If you are 18 years of age or older, click here to access the contact form.

Or scan the adjacent QR code on a phone or tablet.

The fibromyalgia study

he purpose of this study is to better understand the causes of fibromyalgia (FM), which is a chronic disorder that is generally characterized by pain that is felt all over various parts of the body. Usually, fibromyalgia is treated by both pharmacological (medicines) and non pharmacological (therapy, exercises, etc.) treatments, while emphasizing that patients themselves play the most important role in their own care by acting to reduce stress, sleep well, and exercise.

There are two specific goals of this study: (1) To identify which genetic, molecular, and immune factions increase the risk of developing FM, and (2) to verify if the level of inflammatory response is different in patients with FM than in members of the “health control group”. This is a case-control study meaning that we are recruiting individuals who have been diagnosed with FM (case), or who are classified as “healthy control”. 

This study has been reviewed and approved by the Research Ethics and Compliance (IRB) committee of the Faculty of Medicine of McGill University (protocol number: NUMBER: A05-M50-14B).

 

To participate in the fibromyalgia pain study:

 

If you are 18 years of age or older, click here to access the contact form.

Or scan the adjacent QR code on a phone or tablet.

The Role of Activated Serum in Preventing and Resolving Long-Lasting Pain

  • Chronic pain is a long-lasting pain that affects about one out of five people around the world. Unlike pain that happens when you get hurt, which goes away as you heal, chronic pain sticks around for a long time, and sometimes we don’t even know why. Right now, doctors mostly use medicine to help with chronic pain, but these medicines don’t always work well and can have side effects. That’s why we need new treatments that come from natural sources.
  • One such treatment is called autologous conditioned serum (ACS). This involves using a clear liquid from your blood (called serum) that is taken from your own body. ACS is used in Europe and the US to treat joint pain, muscle problems, and spine issues. However, we don’t fully understand why it works.

This study aims to find out if ACS can help with chronic pain and why it might work. We are recruiting participants who have been diagnosed with chronic low back pain, with fibromyalgia and with TMD or who are classified as “healthy controls”.
This study has been reviewed and approved by the Research Ethics and Compliance (IRB) committee of the Faculty of Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of McGill University (protocol number: A08-M44-24A).