A delegation of six DCs from the Federation Internationale de Chiropratique Sportive (FICS) trekked off to Cairo, Egypt for the Mobil African Track and Field Championships. The games were held October 3-6 at the newly erected Cairo Stadium. FICS has provided the African Amateur Athletic Association with doctors for the past four years and this year was no exception.
Allen Miller, D.C., C.C.S.P. of Simi Valley, California, was chosen as Chef De Mission to lead those doctors chosen for this trip. Dr. Miller was chosen due to his extensive experience in Africa. Last year Dr. Miller was in Nigeria, Spain, and Rome working with the African teams.
This trip was especially tenuous due to the current Persian Gulf Crisis. Thirty chiropractors from around the world applied for this trip. The original plan was to take 12 doctors, although due to tensions in the Gulf it was decided to limit the team to 6. Each doctor chosen has several specialties that could be applied in several different ways. This was designed to make a more complete and diverse team that could handle any problem that arose.
These six doctors form around the world converged on the games to provide much needed chiropractic care in the prevention and treatment of numerous sports injuries. (See photo A, Left to Right) Brian Nook, D.C., C.C.S.P., Schaller, Iowa; John Scaringe, D.C., C.C.S.P., Pearl River, New York; Christine Veltri, D.C., C.C.S.P., Santa Ana, California; John Williams, D.C., Ancona, Italy; Allen Miller, D.C., C.C.S.P., Simi Valley, California; Terry Weyman, D.C., Thousand Oaks, California, are shown in front of the Cairo Stadium.
The team of chiropractors were extremely busy from the time they arrived to the time they left, treating approximately 200 athletes a day. As time went on, the Egyptian athletic committee would bring their doctors to our arena to observe our treatment techniques.
Dr. Terry Weyman was taken from the treating arena and asked to treat a collapsed athlete. The working diagnosis from the emergency medical technicians was a burst appendix. Dr. Weyman accurately diagnosed his condition as dehydration along with a psoas contrature. With this information, he was able to get the athlete back in competition the next day.
From this time forward, the chiropractic doctors were in charge of all on-field emergencies. One more example of these types of incidents happened when Drs. Allen Miller, Brian Nook, and John Scaringe were on the field consulting with the Egyptian athletic committee, and a page went over the loud speaker, "Would the chiropractic doctors please come to the field, there's a collapsed athlete."
The doctors treated the athlete and were able to get him to his feet within minutes, and received a standing ovation. At this point the doctors were summoned to the office of the president of the Egyptian Olympic committee. The doctors were asked by the committee to return next year. FICS will be in charge of all medical care for the All African Games to be held September 20-October 1. FICS plans to take 20 doctors from around the world to participate in next year's games.
As seen on picture B, there were breaks to see the local sights. Everyone enjoyed the camel rides around the pyramids.
All the doctors that participated in this year's games found great enjoyment and fulfillment from treating such appreciative athletes. We were treated with great hospitality and friendship, and everyone is looking forward to next year.
When I graduated from chiropractic college in 1981 and started practice, I heard it all, and very little was positive. “You are a quack; you do not know what a subluxation is; you couldn’t get into a real health care program, so you chose the one that is slightly above a mail-order degree; you have no proof that chiropractic works; Are you really licensed?”, and so much more.
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