FEATURE STORY
CHIROPRACTIC IN ONTARIO:
A Global Perspective
T
he World Health
Organization’s (WHO)
Office of Traditional
and Complementary
Medicine is in the
process of preparing a new 10-year
strategy. As part of the preparation of
that strategy, the WHO sought
submissions on the current state of several
professions, including chiropractic. In
December 2012, the World Federation
of Chiropractic (WFC) submitted its
report detailing the state of play in
this profession.
The report included encouraging
news. For instance, the profession has
grown around the world. The current
estimate puts the number of practicing
chiropractors at approaching 100,000.
For context, the number of chiropractors
operating in Brazil 15 years ago was
three. Today that number is over 700.
An increase of over 4,500%
More significantly, though, the global
state of chiropractors’ scope of practice
has evolved. David Chapman-Smith, the
Secretary-General of WFC, reported that
skilled manual therapy is now widely
accepted around the globe as part of the
core of non-acute spinal and low back
pain management, along with education
and exercise. Mr. Chapman-Smith also
reported that “chiropractic is the leading
discipline internationally in a manual
approach to health care.”
T
26
his expansion of the roster and
scope of chiropractors is based
on a variety of factors. Education
SPRING/SUMMER 2013
Who are Ontario chiropractors?
Many of the words used to describe the typical
Canuck apply. Chiropractors are often
unpretentious and understated. They prefer to
allow their work to speak for itself. In this story we
will highlight some of what Ontario’s chiropractors
have accomplished and what is on the horizon.
is among the primary contributing factors
to that growth. As the WFC report
outlines, common international standards
of education have been achieved through
a network of international accrediting
agencies. These standards include
entrance requirements, minimum courses
of study, mandatory clinical training and
licensing examinations. In 1990, there
were a handful of institutions that offered
chiropractic training. Today there are 41
programs in 16 countries.
Research is another area where
chiropractic has enjoyed recent successes.
As reported to the WHO, a number of
international, evidence-based clinical
practice guidelines have endorsed the
chiropractic approach. Also cited is a
Canadian randomized controlled trial that
found that chiropractic care can be more
effective and cost-effective than usual
medical care in the treatment of low
back pain.
Research projects into patient
satisfaction and the cost-effectiveness of
chiropractic care are also coming to the
fore. A 2004 study of California data
demonstrated that the cost of HMO plan
members that had chiropractic coverage
in addition to standard medical were
lower than members that had medical
coverage only.
A third area of achievement for
chiropractic is in respect to acceptance
and collaboration with government
funded health systems. Over the \