Argentina and Chile
As this report goes to press, a WFC delegation led by Dr. Ronald Firestone of Bolivia, WFC Council representative for Latin America, Dr. Sira Borges, president, Brazilian Chiropractors' Association, and David Chapman-Smith, secretary-general, is on a fact-finding trip to Argentina and Chile. In both countries, large groups of kinesiologist who practice as chiropractors have approached local chiropractors and the WFC seeking formal postgraduate training to become properly qualified. Any such education would be provided through a local university in partnership with one or more accredited chiropractic colleges and doctors of chiropractic in Argentina and Chile respectively. WFC representatives will be meeting with all relevant parties in these countries, then reporting to the World Chiropractic Council at the Auckland Congress.
Australia
Chiropractors treating elite athletes make an important contribution to the increased acceptance of the profession. Congratulations to Dr. Andrea Bisaz of Melbourne who was recently appointed official chiropractor to the Australian Davis Cup team. The Davis Cup, which began in 1900, is tennis' premier international competition, a unique sporting event most closely aligned with the Olympic concept, pitting nation against nation to determine each year which country can stake claim to being the top tennis power. This year's Davis Cup has 129 nations competing.
The Davis Cup has always had a high profile in Australia, and this year's team includes two-time U.S. Open champion Patrick Rafter, ranked 5th in the world, and Mark Philippoussis, ranked 9th. Dr. Bisaz is the first chiropractor appointed to the Davis Cup team. His appointment results from more than 10 years work with many top players.
Canada
The Canadian Chiropractic Association (CCA) has produced a publication for new graduates, Opportunities in Chiropractic. The CCA is mailing a sample copy directly to all WFC member associations. This contains detailed and useful advice on many aspects of setting up a new practice.
Last year a patient died following chiropractic treatment in Canada. This event, the first in the history of the Canadian profession, drew extensive media coverage. The initial feeling of chiropractors was that the publicity would deter many Canadians from seeking chiropractic care. However, a national poll commissioned by the CCA reported that only two percent of Canadians had heard of the death. Eighty-three percent said that a woman dying of a stroke after undergoing a chiropractic adjustment would make no difference in their going to a chiropractor.
The poll further reported that a lack of knowledge of the educational qualifications of chiropractors, not the risk of harm, was a much higher impediment to non-chiropractic users consulting a DC.
The Ontario Chiropractic Association (OCA), which has approximately 2,000 members and is the division of the CCA for the province of Ontario, responded by sending an individual mailing with facts of the case and research on the benefits and risks of cervical adjustment to all 11,000 family physicians and neurologists in the province. OCA members report that this has led to new referrals of patients. Several hundred physicians have returned brief survey forms confirming their interest in attending a seminar on chiropractic education and practice. At the WFC Assembly in Auckland in May, Dr. Paul Carey will report further on this matter and lessons learned for the future.
Israel
Dr. David Naiss, president of the Israeli Chiropractic Society (ICS), reports that a one-year pilot program of chiropractic services for the army commenced at the Zerfin Military Base near Tel Aviv this month. Similar to the current military demonstration project in the U.S., if there are good results, chiropractic care will become a permanent service to the Israeli armed forces. Dr. Naiss, who has previously provided chiropractic services for several years to the army on a less formal basis, says the ICS is confident of good results. The real fear of all participants is that there will be too much demand for chiropractic services in the demonstration project. While there is a roster of nine chiropractors, there is only one DC in service at the base each day.
The ICS also reports significant progress in negotiations with the ministry of health for chiropractic legislation. This could have been passed already if the ICS was prepared to accept limitations in the area of diagnosis. A full and appropriate scope of diagnosis is now the only unresolved issue.
Finally congratulations to Dr. Yael Weiss (ICS vice-president) for her leadership in both politics and science. She will not only be representing the ICS at the at the World Chiropractic Congress in Auckland, but presenting her original research (clinical management of scoliosis using heel lifts where there is leg-length inequality).
Italy
In Italy there is an established chiropractic profession of over 200, with a majority being members of the Italian Chiropractic Association (AIC). There has also been government funding for chiropractic services (if given on medical referrals) since 1984. But for many years there has been little progress toward the goal of chiropractic legislation, partly because of the instability of governments and medical opposition. The AIC advises that this has now changed and there are currently renewed negotiations for legislation. The fundamental reason is the rise in acceptance of complementary and alternative medicine. The Italian government is seeing chiropractic as the most developed discipline in this field and the one for which it can most safely and appropriately move to legislative recognition. Congratulations to the AIC and particularly its president, Dr. Eddy Pellissier and Dr. Tom Rigel, for continuing strong leadership on the legislative front.
Norway
Dr. Eli Magnesen of Holmestrand, newly elected president of the Norwegian Chiropractors Association (NCA) and one of the increasing number of women strengthening the leadership of the chiropractic profession, has developed a beautifully researched and illustrated new booklet on chiropractic prepared for the public, government and other health professions in Norway. It positions chiropractic as a mainstream health care discipline complementary to medicine and has already led to significantly greater acceptance, including a strongly favorable review by a neurologist in the Norwegian Medical Journal.
The NCA has provided the WFC with an English translation of the booklet, and has offered a joint venture to make the publication available in English and possibly other languages. This offer has been referred to the WFC Council and will be considered at the WFC Assembly of Members in Auckland.
Peru
At the request of the Peruvian Chiropractic Association (Asociacion Peruana de Quiropractica -- APQ) the WFC has again recently written to the ministry of health in support of the APQ's effective campaign for chiropractic legislation. There are now eight chiropractors in Peru. Their legislative campaign has not been assisted by recent cases of harm to patients by lay manipulators, holding themselves out as chiropractors. Leaders of the APQ include Dr. Felipe Castro-Mendivil (president), a Life West graduate; Dr. Rafail Chung, a Cleveland graduate; Dr. Walter Sanchez, a Life graduate; and Dr. Jason Gilbert, a Macquarie University graduate from Australia. Dr. Castro-Mendivil had a former career as a classical guitarist and became a chiropractor after adjustments corrected a neuromuscular left hand problem that had seriously restricted his performance.
United Kingdom
The General Chiropractic Council (GCC), the regulatory body for chiropractic being established under the Chiropractic Act 1994, expects to bring registration/licensing of chiropractic practice into effect by August. Chairman Norma Morris has recently announced the appointment of Margaret Coats as the GCC chief executive/registrar. Mrs. Coats has a background of administration in health care and education, having worked in the National Health Science and most recently as director for the Occupational Standards Council for Health and Social Care.
