SpineCare 2025 is a professional development and training program that combines virtual and face-to-face training. The course runs over 3 months from Monday 19 May.
About the course
SpineCare 2025 is an interactive course that facilitates integration into clinical practice using quizzes, manual therapy training, motor control, individualised exercise prescription and case studies.
Specialists present on biological and psychosocial aspects of lumbar and cervical disorders, including surgical and conservative management options. Training and practical sessions aim to enhance exercise and manual therapy skills, as well as build advanced reasoning and clinical problem-solving skills.
Course offerings
The full SpineCare 2025 course offers:
- Weekly multidisciplinary webinars delivered by expert presenters from the disciplines of neurosurgery, orthopaedics, rheumatology, pain management and specialist physiotherapy
- Four virtual training sessions (1.5 hours each)
- Three face-to-face practical sessions (7 hours each)
The training and practical sessions aim to enhance exercise and manual therapy skills, as well as build advanced reasoning and clinical problem-solving skills.
In 2025 these sessions are led by:
- Dr Robert Laird (Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist, PhD)
- Dr David Kelly (Senior Lecturer, University of Melbourne)
- Yashwant Rathi (Advanced Practice Physiotherapist, The RMH and Registrar, ACP)
Participants have the option to register for a ‘webinar-only’ package.
This package is designed to suit attendees who do not wish to participate in the virtual training or face-to-face practical sessions.
Location and delivery
The full SpineCare course is a mixture of online and face-to-face learning.
The face-to-face sessions are held at the University of Melbourne.
SpineCare 2025 program schedule
The course runs over 3 months, including a 2-week mid-term break:
- The webinars are on Monday evenings between 7pm and 8pm, except for the first and the fifth webinars, which start at 6pm and run for 2 hours
- The virtual training sessions run on Thursdays from 4pm to 5.30pm, beginning Thursday 22 May
- The face-to-face practice sessions run on Saturdays from 8.30am to 4pm, beginning Saturday 31 May
The SpineCare 2025 schedule and speakers may change without notice.
| Presenter/coordinator |
Webinar |
Virtual training session |
Face-to-face practical session |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr Rob Laird Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist |
Monday 19 May | 6pm to 8pm Intro to LBP, Anatomy and pathoanatomy |
Thursday 22 May | 4pm to 5.30pm Virtual training 1 (Lx biomechanics) |
– | |
|
Dr Caitlin Farmer |
26 May | 7pm to 8pm Masqueraders and red flags |
Thursday 29 May | 4pm to 5.30pm Virtual training 2 (Lx movement patterns) |
Saturday 31 May | 8.30am to 4pm Face-to-face practical session 1 |
|
| 9 June – King's birthday public holiday | ||||
| Mr Bhadu Kavar Neurosurgeon |
16 June | 7pm to 8pm Neurosurgery for the lumbar spine |
Thursday 19 June | 4pm to 5.30pm Virtual training 3 |
– | |
| Dr Ken Niere Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist |
23 June | 6pm to 8pm Cervicothoracic pathoanatomy and motor control |
– |
Saturday 28 June | 8.30am to 4pm Face-to-face practical session 2 |
|
| Dr Tanya Yuen Neurosurgeon |
30 June | 7pm to 8pm Neurosurgery for the cervical spine |
– | – | |
| 4 July to 20 July – School holidays | ||||
| Dr John Moi Consultant Rheumatologist |
21 July | 7pm to 8pm Rheumatologist’s view on managing spinal pain |
– | – | |
| A/Prof Yi Yang Orthopaedic Surgeon |
28 July | 7pm to 8pm Orthopaedic specialist’s view on managing spinal fractures and scoliosis |
Thursday 31 July | 4pm to 5.30pm Virtual training 4 |
– | |
|
A/Prof Malcolm Hogg |
4 August | 7pm to 8pm Pain physician’s view on managing persistent spinal pain |
– |
Saturday 9 August | 8.30am to 4pm Face-to-face practical session 3 |
|
| Dr Anne Daly Specialist Pain Physiotherapist |
11 August | 7pm to 8pm Pain physiotherapist's view of managing persistent spinal pain |
– |
– | |