CAIRO, Egypt -- A 17-member volunteer team from the Federation Internationale de Chiropratique Sportive (FICS) provided chiropractic care to athletes from 41 African countries at the fifth annual All-African Games in Cairo, September 20 to October 1st.
The FICS contingent was selected from an international field of over 180 applicants. Allen Miller, D.C., of Simi Valley, California headed up the team with assistance from DCs Daniele Bertimini (Genoa, Italy), Brian Nook (Iowa), and John Scaringe (California).
In an Olympic-style opening ceremony, the FICS team watched as athletes from 41 African countries marching into the stadium wearing their colorful native costumes. President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, and Juan Antonio Samaranch, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were in attendance.
The DCs' schedule at the games was a busy one. On a daily basis, FICS team members were assigned to particular sporting venues where it was thought chiropractic care would be the most beneficial. Once the team members had their assignments, they treated the athletes either in early morning sessions or after the day's competition.
The FICS doctors were pleased with the receptiveness of the athletes, coaches, administrators, and IOC members toward chiropractic. Aside from treating the athletes, FICS members worked to solidify positive relationships with officials from the attending countries; FISC reports that they succeeded on this front with 34 of the 41 countries.
This was not FICS' first venture working with African athletes. Indeed, FICS has been active in providing chiropractic care to African athletes since 1987 at both the All-African Games and with track and field competitors at the Mobil/All-African Athletic Championships.
FICS is presently in communication with individual African countries, making plans to send a member delegation to the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain.
The 25th congress of the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) in Sydney, Australia, October 16-19 was an important staging ground for FICS. The GAISF is a prestigious international sports federation whose membership includes most of the major sporting bodies throughtout the world. Dr. Noel Patterson, president of FISC was in attendance to petition for GAISF membership for FICS.
The FICS petition was met with a challenge. The International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS) objected to FICS joining GAISF. Dr. Patterson stated his case before the GAISF's Executive Council, and later to the General Assembly where the voting took place. Despite the FIMS opposition, FICS was successful in its application.
Dr. Patterson believes that FICS' membership in GAISF will broaden acceptance of sports chiropractic, and will provide many more opportunities for DCs to help athletes worldwide.
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?
