Low back pain is among the most common chronic pain conditions in Canada. Four out of five adults will experience at least one episode of back pain at some time in their lives. The cause of back pain, however, is not always apparent; in fact, in approximately 85% to 90% of individuals with back pain, no specific cause can be identified.  To help us better understand this common condition and learn how to manage low back pain, we speak with Dr Owen Williamson.

Dr Williamson is an orthopaedic spine surgeon and specialist pain medicine physician. He is also an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.  In 2007, Dr Williamson became the first orthopaedic surgeon in Australia to become a Fellow of the Faculty of Pain Medicine, Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists in 2007. He is on the Education and Training Committee and an examiner for the Faculty of Pain Medicine and is involved in the development of pain education programs in both Australia and Canada.