Editor's Note, Volume 8 Issue 3

D’Arcy Little, MD, CCFP, FRCPC Medical Director, JCCC and HealthPlexus.NET

I am pleased to introduce the next issue of the Journal of Current Clinical Care for the new year.

Dr. Aly Abdulla, Adil Abdulla, and Neelam Charania present Keep Your Head when Dealing with Concussion in the new Sports Medicine section of the Journal. Concussion or minimal traumatic brain injury is a confusing medical condition that is more common than previously appreciated. At the Berlin congress in 2016, 3 key tools and 11 key processes have been developed to clarify this condition and ensure good outcomes. This article summarizes those recommendations in an easy to use format.

In their article, The Canadian Spine Surgeon's Perspective: Avoiding Opioid Use in Spine Patients, Drs. Alexandra Stratton, Darren Roffey, Erica Stone, Eugene Wai, and Mohamed M. El Koussy from the Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa review the impact of opioid use in treating low back pain versus non-opioid medications. First line treatment should emphasize non-pharmacological modalities including education, self-care strategies, and physical rehabilitation. NSAIDs are generally considered an appropriate introduction into pharmacological treatment when deemed necessary. Non-opioid adjunct medications can be considered for specific features related to low back pain such as neuropathic leg pain. Primary care providers should exhaust first and second line treatments before considering low-dose opioids, and only then in consultation with evidence-based clinical practice guidelines.

Dr. Kailie Luan the University of Alberta and Dr. Joseph M. Lam from the University of British Columbia offer What is Pediatric Alopecia Areata? Alopecia areata is a chronic immune-mediated disorder that causes nonscarring hair loss. Although most commonly causing discrete hair loss on the scalp, the condition can affect any hair bearing area of the body and cause significant emotional and psychosocial distress. While intralesional glucocorticoids are often used as initial treatment for adults with the condition, therapeutic options for children are more limited with concerns of treatment tolerability and potential side effects. This article aims to provide an overview of alopecia areata with particular focus on managing this chronic condition in children.

I hope you enjoy this latest edition. Please consider commenting or submitting an article of your own.