David M. Walton BScPT, MSc, PhD is a Professor with the School of Physical Therapy at Western University (Ontario, Canada), cross-appointed to the Dept. of Psychiatry with the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry. He is co-Director of Innovative Solutions for Spinal Pain with Western’s CANSpine research group, co-lead of the Common Spina Disorders Think Tank within Western’s Bone and Joint Institute, co-lead of the kNOw-PAIN interdisciplinary initiative focused on knowing the pain of another person, and Associate Scientist with the Lawson Research Institute. Dr. Walton ranks amongst the world’s leaders in research productivity in the fields of neck pain and musculoskeletal pain assessment and evaluation.
What is the actual role of the neck in a person’s overall well being? How might a deeper understanding of the “neck-in-the-world” contribute to treatment of neck pain? This fascinating article offers a unique perspective on the neck “as a part of the body gestalt,” and explores how understanding its true role may lead to innovations in pain management.