Dr. Steven Helper, MD
Dr. Steven R.M. Helper
MD, FRCPC · Interventional Spine · Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Dr. Helper is a specialist in both Interventional Spine and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, practising at Kinetix Integrated Orthopaedic & Regenerative Medicine in Vancouver, BC.
Prior to his training at the Penn Spine Center, University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Helper completed his residency at the University of British Columbia. He holds board certifications from both the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the American Board of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.
What Dr. Helper offers is the ability to assess, treat, and guide patients along any road of care that is necessary — whether that involves open surgery, minimally invasive procedures, injections, physical therapy, alternative treatments, or long-term pain management. He directs care based on the latest medical literature and his extensive clinical experience.
Education & Training
2006 – 2007
Spine FellowshipPENN Spine Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
2007
Board Certification — Physical Medicine & RehabilitationAmerican Board of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
2006
FRCPC — Physical Medicine & RehabilitationRoyal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
2005 – 2006
Chief Resident, Physical Medicine & RehabilitationUniversity of British Columbia, Faculty of Medicine
2001 – 2005
Residency, Physical Medicine & RehabilitationUniversity of Manitoba, Faculty of Medicine
1997 – 2001
Doctor of MedicineUniversity of Manitoba, Faculty of Medicine
Hospital Affiliations & University Appointment
2007 – present
Vancouver Acute Health ServicesVancouver General Hospital, G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre, UBC Hospital — Attending Physician in PM&R
2008 – present
Clinical Assistant ProfessorUniversity of British Columbia, Division of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Memberships
North American Spine Society (NASS) — 2002–present
Canadian Association of PM&R (CAPMR) — 2001–present
Spine Intervention Society — 2008–present
AAPM&R — 2005–2020
American Board of Medical Specialists — 2007–2018
Publications
“Percutaneous Treatments for Painful Cervical Discs” (2011)Chapter 32 in iSpine: Evidence-Based Interventional Spine Care, Demos Publishing. Author.
“Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease: Intradiscal Therapies” (2009)Chapter 21 in Lumbar Intervertebral Disc, Thieme Publishing. Co-author: Dr. Curtis W. Slipman.
“Lumbar Radicular Pain: Medical Rehabilitation” (2007)Chapter 81 in Interventional Spine: An Algorithmic Approach, Elsevier. Co-authors: Dr. Howard Liss, Dr. Donald Liss.
Academic & Professional Engagements
2025
SpeakerInstructorCanadian Interventional Pain Course — Toronto, ON (May 2–3)
Talk: Update on Regenerative Medicine in Spine Care · Lab: SI joint injection, lateral branch nerve blocks & radiofrequency neurotomy
2023
SpeakerWestern Canadian Regenerative Rehabilitation Summit — Vancouver, BC (Oct 26–28)
Lecture: Update on Intradiscal PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma)
Spine Intervention Society Annual Meeting — Chicago, IL (Sep 20–23)
2022
SpeakerInstructorCanadian Interventional Pain Course — McGill University Online (Apr 2)
Lecture: Intradiscal PRP for Discogenic Low Back Pain
Spine Intervention Society Annual Meeting — Vancouver, BC (Sep 15–18)
SpeakerUBC Division of PM&R — Academic Half Day Teaching, Residents (Nov 30)
SpeakerUBC Medical School — Musculoskeletal Teaching Skills, 1st Year Students
2021
SpeakerWestern Canadian Regenerative Rehabilitation Summit — Vancouver, BC (Nov 19–20)
Lecture: Intradiscal Regenerative Therapies
SpeakerUBC Medical School — Musculoskeletal Teaching Skills, 1st Year Students
SpeakerUBC Division of PM&R — Academic Half Day Teaching, Residents (Dec 2)
2018
SpeakerInstructorCanadian Interventional Pain Course — Toronto, ON (Apr 13–14)
Lumbar medial branch blocks & intra-articular facet joint injections
Spine Intervention Society Annual Meeting — Chicago, IL (Aug 15–18)
SpeakerB.C. Medical Legal Society — Vancouver, BC (Nov 22)
The utilization of interventional spine procedures in diagnosis and treatment of persistent neck pain following MVC
2017
SpeakerInstructorCanadian Interventional Pain Course — Toronto, ON (Apr 7–8)
Fluoroscopy vs. Ultrasound in Pain Intervention · Lumbar medial branch radiofrequency neurotomy
Spine Intervention Society Annual Meeting — San Francisco, CA (Jul 19–22)
CAPMR Annual Meeting — Abstract Reviewer
2016
SpeakerInstructorCourse Director & Instructor — Canadian Interventional Pain Course, Vancouver, BC (Apr 1–2)
Medical Council of Canada — Physician Examiner, LMCC 2 (Oct 30) & NAC (Sep 11)
SpeakerUBC Division of PM&R — Provincial Rounds: Malalignment Syndrome (May 18)
Spine Intervention Society — Advanced Cervical Spine Skills Lab, Chicago, IL (May 6–7)
SpeakerLifeMark Sport Medicine — Clinical Best Practice Day, Vancouver, BC (Sep 26)
How to choose the best candidates for interventional spine pain treatment
2015
SpeakerInstructorCourse Director & Instructor — Canadian Pain Society Interventional Pain Course, Vancouver, BC (Mar 27–28)
SpeakerCAPMR Annual Meeting — Invited Speaker (May 21)
Advances in Interventional Spine Pain Management – Discogenic Low Back Pain
Spine Intervention Society — Advanced Anatomy Lab, Biddeford, ME (May 29–30)
Spine Intervention Society — Advanced Lumbar Skills Lab, Montreal, QC (Jan 30–31)
2014
SpeakerInstructorCourse Director, Speaker & Instructor — Canadian Pain Society Interventional Pain Course, Vancouver, BC (Apr 4–5)
SpeakerSt. Paul’s Hospital CME Conference — Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction (Nov 6)
SpeakerSt. Paul’s Hospital — Video Pain Rounds: Lumbar Zygapophyseal Joint Pain (Mar 26)
SpeakerUBC Division of PM&R — Provincial Rounds: Sacroiliac Joint Pain (Oct 8)
American Association of Pain Management in Ultrasound — Las Vegas, NV (Oct 17–18) & Dallas, TX (Apr 26–28)
2013
InstructorCanadian Pain Society Interventional Pain Course — Hamilton, ON (Apr 5–6)
Lumbar medial branch radiofrequency neurotomy · SI joint injection & radiofrequency neurotomy
SpeakerCanadian Defense Lawyer — Law for Doctors/Medicine for Lawyers Conference, Vancouver (Mar 7)
Diagnosis of common back pain conditions
2012
InstructorCanadian Pain Society Interventional Pain Course — Hamilton, ON (Mar 30–31)
Cervical medial branch nerve blockade
Spine Intervention Society Annual Assembly — Las Vegas, NV (Jul 17–21)
Vancouver Acute — Grand Rounds: An Approach to Back Pain (Oct 6)
2011
SpeakerInstructorCanadian Pain Society Interventional Pain Course — Hamilton, ON (Apr 1–2)
Lumbar medial branch radiofrequency neurotomy
SpeakerUBC Division of PM&R — Provincial Rounds: Lumbosacral Pain Disorders (Apr 6)
Spine Intervention Society — Cervical Injection Lab, Aurora, CO (Oct 21–22)
Spine Intervention Society — Lumbar Discography Lab, New Orleans, LA (Aug 27–28)
Spine Intervention Society — Cervical Spine Radiofrequency Lab, New Orleans, LA (Jul 9–10)
2008
SpeakerUBC Division of PM&R — Provincial Rounds: Radiofrequency Ablation (Nov 5)
SpeakerUBC Division of PM&R — Provincial Rounds: Discogenic Low Back Pain (Apr 23)
