NB-ISAEC (Spine Clinic)

What is New Brunswick Inter-professional Spine Assessment and Education Clinic (NB-ISAEC)?

NB-ISAEC is a group of rapid access clinics run across Horizon Health Network (Horizon) that are designed to provide an assessment of your lower back pain and related leg pain.

Assessments are provided by physiotherapists and once complete, you are provided education regarding your condition, a thorough self-management plan, and recommendations to your primary care provider to help determine the next steps in your care.

They are designed to provide you with timely assessment of your condition and a personalized self-management plan to empower you to manage your low back pain and related symptoms.

These clinics are a shared-care model where the physiotherapist provides detailed information regarding your assessment, treatment plan and further recommendations to your family physician or nurse practitioner (primary care provider).

All assessments and follow up appointments are fully funded by Medicare, and are available in English or French.

How to access the program

All you need is a referral from your primary care provider.

All primary care providers that refer patients to these clinics have completed a learning program that grants them referral privileges.

What happens next?

After receiving a referral from your primary care provider, you will receive a call from the clinic nearest you to book an assessment.

You can expect a call within two weeks of the referral being received. Due to current staff shortages, we are experiencing delays in assessment. Current wait time is between 6-12 weeks depending on the region.

Currently, clinics are operational in Fredericton, Miramichi, Moncton, and Saint John.

Preparing for your assessment

To help the physiotherapist fully understand how your condition is impacting you, please complete the patient intake form. The form can be accessed here.

Please note: the patient intake form must only be completed after a referral is sent and an assessment is booked.

Whenever possible we ask that this form be completed in advance, however if you are unable to do this we ask that you arrive 20 minutes prior to your appointment to complete the necessary paperwork.

Should you need to cancel or change your assessment, we ask that you contact us at 506-870-2988, and whenever possible provide at least 24-hours notice.

It is important that we fully understand your condition thus if you are unable to communicate in English or French, please bring a friend or family member who can translate on your behalf.

What to expect at my assessment

At your assessment, you will be assessed by a physiotherapist, which will take between 60 and 90 minutes.

After, you will be provided with education regarding the findings and diagnosis, as well as a detailed self-management plan.

While you are there, follow-up appointments with the physiotherapist are scheduled as needed to monitor progress and adjust your program as required.

Benefits of NB-ISAEC

Physiotherapists educate patients on exercises and provide self-management plans that reduce chronic low back pain, reduce unnecessary referrals to specialists and reduce X-Rays and MRIs (diagnostic imaging).

This improves patient outcomes and ensures timely access to appropriate care for patients with low back pain.

Criteria

You are a candidate for this program if you have persistent low back pain and/or related symptoms.

Related symptoms include, but not limited to, sciatica, leg numbness and tingling, weakness etc. Symptoms must be present for at least six weeks, but not longer than one year.

Or, you are a candidate for this program if you have recurrent episodic unmanageable low back pain and or related symptoms, with most recent episode less than one-year post onset.

Patients with the following are not eligible for the program:

• constant low back pain and/or related symptoms with no periods of relief for longer than one year;
• pain that is the result of an accident for which there is an activeinsurance claim (motor vehicle crash, WorkSafe NB etc.);
• patients under age 18;
• patients who are pregnant or less than one-year post partum;
• patients with an established narcotic dependency
• conditions that require urgent or emergent care

Think you are a candidate for this program?

Ask your primary care provider if they are participating in the program and whether or not you meet the program criteria.