Lumbar Spine Pain: Integrative Assessment & Treatment
Lumbar Spine Pain: Integrative Assessment & Treatment
Deepen your clinical expertise with Dr. Thomas Lotus and Dr. Demetry Assimakopoulos. This two-day course offers an in-depth look into diagnosing and treating lumbar spine disorders and chronic pain.
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Venue
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Toronto, ON
May 16-17, 2026
8:00-6:00 (subject to change)
Venue: TBA
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Vancouver, BC
June 13-14, 2026
8:00-6:00 (subject to change)
Venue: TBA
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Calgary, AB
September 19-20, 2026
8:00-6:00 (subject to change)
Venue: TBA
Description
This 16-hour course is designed for healthcare professionals who evaluate and treat patients with low back pain. This course integrates contemporary pain science, biomechanical assessment, mechanical diagnosis and therapy (MDT), and psychosocial considerations into a cohesive, evidence-based framework for clinical decision-making.
Participants will explore the multifactorial nature of lumbar spine pain—including nociceptive, neuropathic, and centrally mediated mechanisms—while learning effective, structured assessment methods that identify key pain patterns and patient phenotypes. Through a combination of lecture, interactive case studies, and extensive hands-on labs, clinicians will practice repeated movement testing, classification principles, and targeted treatment strategies rooted in MDT and mechanistic reasoning.
Emphasis is placed on integrating red flag screening, behavioral and cognitive contributors to pain, and functional outcome tracking to create comprehensive, patient-centered care plans. By the end of the course, participants will be equipped to apply practical assessment tools, communicate more effectively with patients, and select individualized interventions that promote recovery, reduce disability, and enhance long-term function.
What you can expect:
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In-depth discussions and real-world scenarios and cases
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Hands-on demonstrations of assessment and treatment techniques
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Strategies for immediate implementation in clinical practice
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Interactive Q&A sessions with the instructor
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Explain the epidemiology of lumbar spine pain and key concepts from contemporary pain science.
- Identify red flags, pain mechanisms, and psychosocial factors affecting lumbar spine presentations.
- Perform a structured lumbar assessment using repeated movement testing and MDT-based evaluation.
- Classify lumbar pain presentations to guide targeted, evidence-based intervention strategies.
- Apply MDT principles, including directional preference and force progression, in clinical treatment.
- Integrate biomechanical, neurophysiological, and psychosocial information into individualized care plans.
- Communicate assessment findings and pain science concepts effectively to improve patient understanding and engagement.
Who is this course for?
Practicing DC, PT, DO and other medical professionals interested in non-surgical spine care (e.g., spine surgeon, PM&R).
The Outline
16 CE Hours
Collapsible content
Day 1
Foundations & Assessment
8:00 - 8:15 AM Seminar Introduction & Course Objectives: The BPS-MDT Framework
8:15 - 9:15 AM The L-Spine Pain Problem: Epidemiology, Costs, and The Need for Classification
9:15 - 10:45 AM Contemporary Pain Science: Shifting from Tissue to Sensitivity
10:45 - 11:00 AM Morning Break
11:00 - 12:00 PM Red Flags, Serious Pathology, and Comprehensive L-Spine History
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch Break
1:00 - 2:30 PM Lumbar Pain Phenotyping: Nociceptive Mechanical Dominant vs. Nociplastic Pain
2:30 - 4:00 PM Lumbar Pain Classification: Principles of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT)
4:00 - 4:15 PM Afternoon Break
4:15 - 5:45 PM The Psychosocial Dimension: Utilizing Assessment Tools in LBP
Day 2
Mechanical Diagnosis, Treatment, and Integration
8:00 - 10:00 AM Hands-On MDT: Repeated Movement Testing & Identifying Directional Preference (DP)
10:00 - 10:15 AM Morning Break
10:15 - 11:45 AM Treatment via MDT: Principles of Centralization, Force Progression, and Self-Management
11:45 - 12:45 Lunch Break
12:45 - 2:15 PM Integrated Management: Pain Education & Cognitive Reframing for Chronic LBP
2:15 - 3:15 PM Integrated Management: Prescribing Therapeutic Exercise & Graded Exposure for L-Spine
3:15 - 3:30 PM Afternoon Break
3:30 - 5:30 PM Case Studies & Grand Rounds: Integrating MDT Classification with BPS Management
Instructors
Dr. Thomas Lotus
DC, Cert.MDT, DIANM
Dr. Lotus completed his DC degree at National University of Health Sciences in 2003. He went on to earn his chiropractic orthopedics diplomate and McKenzie Diagnosis and Therapy credential and is currently completing his rehabilitation diplomate through the American Chiropractic Rehabilitation Board.
His extensive rehabilitation training includes a rotation at Motol Hospital in the Czech Republic under Drs. Pavel Kolar and Karel Lewit, where he learned advanced techniques in dynamic neuromuscular stabilization (DNS).
Dr. Lotus is currently a chiropractic physician with Midwest Orthopedics at Rusch University Medical Center and is co-director of the non-surgical spine care division. He provides patient assessment, treatment and triage service and assists orthopedic resident and fellow training in non-surgical spine care.
He is a past faculty member at the Lincoln School of Post-Professional Education, where he taught courses on pain classification, non-surgical orthopedics, rehabilitation, biomechanics, and pain management. He is currently and adjunct faculty at the School of Health and Rehabilitation Science where he provided instruction for the Primary Spine Practitioner Program.
Dr. Lotus co-authored chapter 11 on Therapeutic Exercise in the 2018 Orthopedic Knowledge Update and the chapter on The McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy in the 3rd edition of Rehabilitation of the Spine by Craig Liebenson, DC.
Dr. Demetry Assimakopoulos
Sp. Hons. BA, DC
Dr. Demetry Assimakopoulos graduated from The Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 2012. Dr. Demetry previously worked as part of the interdisciplinary team at the University Health Network’s (UHN) Rehabilitation Pain Service (RPS). This specialized inter-disciplinary program works to manage very complex chronic pain cases as part of an integrated team, to determine the best possible clinical pathways for individual patients. Dr. Demetry was the first chiropractor to join the UHN RPS Program, and started the first Chiropractic Clinic in the hospital.
Dr. Demetry also treats chronic pain patients Pain and Wellness Centre in Maple Ontario. The Pain and Wellness Centre offers Ontario’s only government-funded interdisciplinary pain program, which offers a spectrum of treatments for chronic pain, including chiropractic services, physical rehabilitation, naturopathy, healthy eating, lifestyle counseling, psychological counselling, mindfulness and meditation, pharmacological treatment and interventional therapies. Furthermore, Dr. Demetry teaches in the Department of Graduate Studies at CMCC.
