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."
Teaching MDs About Chiropractic
The March 2005 issue of Perspectives in Neuroscience, a quarterly continuing medical education (CME) periodical distributed to more than 3,000 primary care physicians, neurologists and neuroradiologists in Illinois, features an article on spinal manipulation written by Stephan Troyanovich, DC.
In the article, titled "Spinal Manipulation: An Overview," Dr. Troyanovich, a member of Life Chiropractic College West's adjunct research faculty since February 2001, discusses chiropractic manipulation of the spine, including its documented safety and effectiveness. A 10-question, self-administered test follows the article; physicians can earn up to one hour of category 1 CME credit toward the American Medical Association's Physician Recognition Award by correctly answering seven of the 10 review questions after reading the paper.
Perspectives in Neuroscience is sponsored by the Central Illinois Neuroscience Foundation, of which Dr. Troyanovich is a member. The foundation was established in 1996, with the goal of "furthering and enhancing the education of physicians, nurses, technicians, and allied health care professionals in the various neurohealth sciences."
"My involvement with the Central Illinois Neuroscience Foundation (CINF) has given me an opportunity to interact with a wide variety of physicians in the neurosciences," commented Dr. Troyanovich. "It was most gratifying when their Director of Continuing Medical Education, Dr. Ann Stroink, a neurosurgeon, offered me the opportunity to write this article. I looked at it as a way to distribute accurate information about spinal manipulation, as performed by chiropractors, to a large number of medical physicians who otherwise might not ever get this type of exposure to the topic."
"Spinal Manipulation: An Overview" defines spinal manipulation, including its basis for the treatment of soft-tissue lesions; reviews the efficacy of spinal manipulation for neck pain, back pain, and headache; and compares the risks and benefits of spinal manipulation to other common medical treatments. Dr. Troyanovich notes that "more than 50 prospective randomized trials demonstrate the clinical effectiveness of spinal manipulative therapy for headache, neck and back pain" and that "although risks for adverse events exist ... the risks are lower than for common medical treatments such as the prescription of NSAIDs." He concludes: "In light of these facts, spinal manipulation as provided by chiropractic physicians should be the choice of treatment for many patients suffering with mechanical neck and back pain and headache of cervical origin."
Dr. Troyanovich is a 1987 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic; he has authored six books and authored or co-authored more than 40 peer-reviewed articles on chiropractic evaluation and treatment methods. In addition to his faculty position at Life West, Dr. Troyanovich currently serves as a manuscript reviewer for the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT) and the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine. He also maintains a full-time practice in Normal, Illinois.
Resources
- Troyanovich SJ. Spinal manipulation: an overview. Perspectives in Neuroscience, March 2005.
- Adjunct research faculty member authors continuing medical education vehicle for 3000+ medical physicians. Life West press release, April 19, 2005.
- E-mail correspondence with Dr. Troyanovich, May 13-14, 2005.