| THE CHIROPRACTIC PROFESSION |
|
WHAT IS CHIROPRACTIC?
Chiropractic is one of the largest primary contact health professions in Canada. Approximately four and a half million Canadians use the services of a chiropractor each year.
A large majority of patients who seek chiropractic care do so for complaints of the musculoskeletal system (joints, muscles, tendons, nerves and bones). Chiropractors provide diagnosis, treatment and management of these complaints which may include but are not limited to: back pain, neck pain, sciatica, whiplash, osteoarthritis, migraine and tension headaches, upper and lower extremity complaints, along with repetitive strain, sport, work and motor vehicle injuries. See other Common Conditions Treated.
 Chiropractors are trained to offer multi-modal physical therapy incorporating the use of different techniques commonly employed in combination with each other to decrease pain, stimulate healing, and restore overall function.
Chiropractic adjustments and mobilizations are just one mode of therapy utilized by chiropractors (but not with every patient), to restore normal motion and functioning in joints. Soft tissue therapy is used to alleviate muscle spasm, decrease scar tissue, and increase pain free ranges of motion. Electrotherapy involves the application of relaxing therapeutic electrical current or sound waves to the area of injury, dysfunction, or pain (i.e. TENS, interferential current, ultrasound). Acupuncture can be used to promote healing, decrease pain, and control inflammation. Rehabilitative exercise prescription may also be used to improve balance, coordination, strength, flexibility, and posture. If your complaint is not something that would respond favorably to chiropractic care, a referral is made to the appropriate health professional.
Chiropractic is well recognized within the health care system. Chiropractic care is covered by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) for occupational injuries, by automobile insurance in the event of a motor vehicle accident (MVA) injury, and by many Extended Health Care (EHC) plans. A medical referral is not necessary to access chiropractic care.
|
| |
|
HOW IS A CHIROPRACTOR TRAINED?
Chiropractic practitioners undergo a rigorous course of study similar to that of other health professionals. Training involves a minimum of three years undergraduate university education, followed by another four years of intensive academic and clinical education at an accredited chiropractic college. Becoming licensed to practice chiropractic requires all eligible candidates to pass national and provincial examinations before applying to the Licensing Board. Specialized post-graduate training enables the chiropractors of today to offer their patients additional treatment options. The College of Chiropractors of Ontario (CCO) regulates chiropractic licensure in the province of Ontario and currently recognizes five specialties which include:
• Physical and Occupational Rehabilitation - FCCPOR(C)
• Chiropractic Sciences - FCCS(C)
• Sports Sciences - RCCSS(S)
• Orthopedics - FCCO(C)
• Radiology - CCR(C)
In Ontario, chiropractic education is offered through the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) in Toronto. This educational program is fully accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education of Canada (CCEC), which has adopted standards similar to those of the Council on Chiropractic Education in the United States, an entity recognized by the United States Department of Education. The faculty at CMCC has diverse backgrounds and offers students a wide range of expertise. Faculty comes from such disciplines as biological sciences, pathology, medicine and psychology, as well as chiropractic. Some of the courses in the CMCC program include:
Anatomy, biochemistry, neuroanatomy, physiology, neurology, embryology, histology, pathology, immunology, microbiology, clinical biomechanics, neuroscience, nutrition, orthopedics, radiology (biophysics and protection, x-ray interpretation and diagnosis), and clinical sciences specifically relating to diagnosis.
|
| |
THE CANADIAN MEMORIAL CHIROPRACTIC COLLEGE (CMCC)
The Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College has been a leader in chiropractic research for more than five decades. The College has dedicated itself to the development of an ongoing, productive research program. Faculty have been successful in obtaining research grants from funding agencies and have published extensively in peer-reviewed and refereed chiropractic journals, as well as in multi-disciplinary journals such as the British Medical Journal; Spine; Annals of Internal Medicine; Pain; The Lancet; and The New England Journal of Medicine.
Over the years, CMCC has developed relationships with faculty in other academic institutions in North America. Research collaborations have taken place with faculty from the University of Toronto, University of Waterloo, McMaster University, University of Western Ontario, Institute for Work and Health, St. Michael's Hospital, Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre, University of Calgary, University of Saskatchewan, The Texas Back Institute, and St. Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton. In 1996, CMCC partnered with the University of Waterloo to establish Canada's first chiropractic research clinic within a university.
|
| |
|
HOW IS CHIROPRACTIC REGULATED?
Chiropractic is regulated by provincial statute in all provinces. For example, in Ontario, chiropractic has been governed by statute since 1925. Currently, it is regulated by the Chiropractic Act (1991), which is administered by the College of Chiropractors of Ontario (CCO), created in accordance with the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA) (1991).
Chiropractors along with medical doctors, dentists, psychologists, and optometrists have the legislated right and obligation to communicate a diagnosis and to use the title doctor. The College of Chiropractors of Ontario, like the colleges in each of the other provinces, is similar to the regulatory bodies for other health professions. It is responsible for protecting the public, standards of practice, disciplinary issues, quality assurance, and maintenance of competency.
|
| |
|
WHAT CAN I EXPECT ON MY FIRST CHIROPRACTIC VISIT?
Before any treatment is commenced on a prospective chiropractic patient, there are several steps that are taken to ensure the case is one that can be helped with chiropractic care.
First, a thorough Medical History is taken which documents an individual's specific complaint and may also include questions concerning past surgeries and illnesses, medication use, general and family health history.
Second, a Physical Examination is performed consisting of orthopaedic, neurological, and range of motion testing. X-rays may also be ordered to help determine the source of pain or dysfunction.
Third, a Diagnosis and Prognosis is provided to the patient to let them know if their complaint(s) can benefit from chiropractic care. If the complaint will not benefit from chiropractic care, a referral is made to the appropriate health discipline.
For all complaints that may benefit from chiropractic care, a proposed treatment plan is communicated to the patient, including type of treatment and duration. Factors taken into consideration when developing a treatment plan for a particular individual include age, sex, severity and duration of complaint, lifestyle and environmental factors, physical health and fitness, medication use, and any other relevant health conditions. In addition, factors relating to patient concerns and preferences are also taken into account, because patients always have a choice as to the type of care they wish to receive.
|
| |
IS CHIROPRACTIC SAFE?
Before becoming licensed to practice chiropractic, all eligible candidates are required to pass rigorous national and provincial examinations before applying to the Licensing Board for the right to practice. Chiropractors are required to complete many hours of post-graduate instruction and continuing education as part of annual license renewal. Licensing colleges in respective provinces require chiropractors to attend seminars, scientific symposia and read professional journals to keep up with ongoing research and development within the profession. This professional development keeps the chiropractor well-equipped with the skills needed to provide patients with safe and effective chiropractic care.
Just as the medical profession in general must be completely certain that the care they provide is safe, so too must the chiropractic profession. The safety and effectiveness of chiropractic treatment has been studied very carefully. Serious complications from chiropractic treatments are rare. Your chiropractor will discuss all potential side effects and any risks along with the benefits of the care you receive. If your chiropractor diagnoses a problem that would be better treated by another health care professional, he or she will make an appropriate referral.
Additional chiropractic resources and information can be found at:
|
|
|
