Iben Axén

Iben Axén

Principal Researcher | Docent
Telephone: +46852483228
Visiting address: Nobels väg 13, 17177 Solna
Postal address: C6 Institutet för miljömedicin, C6 IIR Axén, 171 77 Stockholm

About me

  • Personal background
    Education: Doctor of Chiropractic from the Anglo-European College of
    Chiropractic, England
    Other experience: Practicing as a chiropractor since 1990.
    Nationality: Norwegian
    2017: Jean Robert Research Prize, European Chiropractors’ Union
    2010: Jean Robert Junior Research Prize (the European Academic Chiropractic
    Research Council).
    Doctor of Chiropractic from the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic,
    England, 1990
    PhD in Medical Science from Karolinska Institutet, 2011

Research

  • My research is centered round low back pain and manual therapy. In our
    research group, we have studied the course/trajectory and the prevention of
    recurrent and persistent low back pain. We are also studying the neurological
    effects of manual therapy. A hallmark of my research is a Practice-Based
    Research Network, i.e. a group of clinicians all over Sweden that are helping
    with data collection. This ensures sufficiently large and relevant datasets
    and stimulates an interest for research results among the end users.
    My doctoral project were, thanks to frequent measures over time (collected
    with text messages), able to show detailed trajectories of pain over time.
    These clinical trajectories were used as the basis of sub-grouping patients.
    My post-doc-project investigated prevention of recurrent and persistent low
    back pain. Two existing strategies for preventive care were studied in a
    randomized controlled trial to evaluate effect and cost-effectiveness.
    I am currently engaged in:
    1: BACE (BAck Complaints in Elders), an international study that investigates
    the trajectory of low back pain in patients over 55 years.
    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327868142_Back_Complaints_in_Elders_in_Chiropractic_Care_BACE-C_An_International_Cohort_Study
    2: Back-UP, a Horizon2020-project. The aim of this project is to develop a
    clinical tool to improve the care of patients with neck- and back-pain in
    Europe. This tool will ensure evidence-based care, minimize unnecessary
    interventions and increase shared decision-making involving the patient.
    http://backup-project.eu/
    3:SPARC (Spinal Pain and Autonomic Responses to Chiropractic care). In this
    randomized study, heart rate variability and pain-responses are investigated
    in relation to chiropractic care of patients with persistent neck pain.

Articles

All other publications

Employments

  • Principal Researcher, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 2022-

Degrees and Education

  • Docent, Karolinska Institutet, 2016
  • Degree Of Doctor Of Philosophy, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 2011

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