The Federation Internationale de Chiropratique Sportive (FICS) met in Durban, South Africa for its annual symposium, Sept. 1-4. The symposium was a joint venture of the FICS and the Chiropractic Association of South Africa (CASA). The program provided top-notch education sessions taught by an international group of leading sports chiropractors and several MDs. The chiropractic speakers included: Daniele Bertamini (FICS president, Italy); Terry Weyman (Calif); Dr. Roland Noirat (FICS general director, Switzerland); Noel Patterson (FICS past pres., Australia); Fraser Bliss (Finland); Brian Nook (FICS v.p., Iowa); Lee Arnold (Florida); David Pierson (FICS past president, Calif.); and Tom Hyde (FICS general secretary, Florida).
In addition to these speakers, the students from Technikon Natal presented their research papers.
FICS would like to thank the CASA members, including DCs Chris Neethling, president; Ray Rethman; David Dyson; and many other members of the CASA, including several wives. Dr. Brian and Dr. Deb Nook were also integral to the development of the program. An additional thanks to Sergio Zanfrini (Italy) who presented FICS with a "stabilometric platform" which he developed. FICS gave the instrument to Technikon Natal to use for research validation.
The FICS board discussed the continued efforts of this organization to place chiropractors at the disposal of athletes around the world at all types of competitions. There have been meetings with the IOC president, various IOC members and members of the IOC medical committee. There have also been meetings with the Australian Olympic Committee to include chiropractors in the polyclinic.
During the conference, FICS held a general assembly. South Africa, Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Great Britain, Italy, Kenya, Namibia, Switzerland, the U.S., and Zimbabwe were represented. FICS President Dr. Daniele Bertamini stressed the need for the development of independent National Chiropractic Sports Councils (NCSC). For the next three years, FICS will allow individual members to join from those countries in which no NCSC exists.
Dr. Noirat reported that 11 nations requested chiropractic coverage at the Sydney Olympics.
A motion was moved and accepted on the annual membership fees for a national association (in U.S. dollars): 1-10 members ($50) 11-50 members ($100); 51-100 members ($150); and 101 or more members ($200). The student member fees were set at $20, with a $20 registration fee.
Dr. Noirat is working on the creation of a new FICS I1 and I2 certificate for those individual members outside the Americas, and a certificate will be forwarded. Each member will receive a certificate and a pin. All I1s will receive a gold pin, and the I2s will receive a silver pin. The I1 and I2, gold and silver, refer to individuals who were previously designated full or associate members.
Dr. Bertamini reported on the International Skating Union (ISU). He has been asked to supply FICS members for some of the major championships. If we can perform well during this first campaign, we will be more involved in all world championships next year and at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. Dr. Bertamini will also meet with members of the IOC to continue dialogue concerning the inclusion of chiropractors and the role of FICS.
Drs. Bertamini, Patterson, Pierson and Hyde attended the General Association of Sports Federations (GAISF) meeting in Osaka, Japan in mid-October. For the first time, FICS was able to make a presentation before the GAISF delegation. Dr. Noel Patterson made an excellent presentation. He discussed the role of the volunteer chiropractor in sports and prompted over 50 positive responses from the GAISF attendees. Dr. Brian Nook and several others helped in producing information used by Dr. Patterson in his presentation.
While in Osaka, we met with various members of international governing bodies (IGBs) to discuss placing FICS members at their competitions, and left with several organizations requesting coverage. We have already managed to send several members of GAISF to chiropractors around the world and are arranging coverage at several events. It is imperative that these lines of communication with GAISF continue. The meeting was presided over by Dr. Un Yong Kim. Letters were forwarded to other IGBs upon our return.
In Auckland, the WFC recognized the Japanese Association of Chiropractors (JAC). They are involved in teaching with FICS through RMIT in Tokyo. Dr. Hirofumi Nakatsuka is the president of the JAC and has agreed to form a Japanese Chiropractic Sports Council. We also met with Dr. Hirofumi Nakatsuka and Dr. Yozo Kawanishi. We stressed that the Japanese Chiropractic Sports Council (JCSC) must be an apolitical organization and should allow members of either association to participate in FICS activities.
Through the hard work of Dr. Brian Nook and others, FICS was able to supply doctors for the 8th All-African Games. Well over 100 doctors and students participated in the Games held in Johannesburg. The doctors participating received official credentials. The volunteers provided hundreds of adjustments.
The FICS 2000 Symposium will be held in Mexico in mid-July. Dr. Enrique Benet-Canut is putting together the educational program, which should appear in a brochure in the near future. Come to Mexico to learn from the experts and meet chiropractors from around the world that share the same dreams and goals you do. For additional information, visit the FICS web page at: www.fics-ch.org.
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
