Editor’s Note: The following is excerpted from a WFC announcement and appears with permission. Read the full tribute by clicking here.
One of the most influential figures in the history of modern-day chiropractic in Canada, Dr. Paul F. Carey, passed away [on Oct. 31, 2023] following a long illness. He was 80.
Paul Carey was born on St. Patrick’s Day, 1943, the son of a British father and Irish mother. He grew up on the tough east side of Toronto.
Suffering from persistent back problems as a teenager, Paul changed his career choice from dentistry to chiropractic. Despite numerous chiropractic schools in the United States, at that time there was only a single institution for Canadians, which fortunately was based in Toronto.
Dr. Carey graduated from the then Bloor Street-based Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 1967, at a time when chiropractic was becoming increasingly popular due to its coverage, through multiple union contracts, by a number of health and accident insurance companies.
Upon graduation, the 24-year-old Paul Carey moved to Stratford, a bustling town 80 miles (129 km) southwest of Toronto and established his clinic, Chiropractic Healthcare, from which he became highly respected in his community, treating tens of thousands of patients during the course of his 48-year career.
After just four years in practice, in 1971, Dr. Carey joined the Board of the Ontario Chiropractic Association (OCA), the largest of Canada’s provincial associations. Serving on the OCA Board, he passed through its various offices and was its president between 1981 and 1983.
Having secured the services of Mr. David Chapman-Smith in 1982, a significant part of Dr. Carey’s tenure was engaged in developing legislation to regulate the practice of chiropractic in Ontario. What was intended to be a two-year process took almost 10, with the Chiropractic Act finally receiving Royal Assent in 1991.
The mid-1980s were challenging times for chiropractors in Canada. Following a number of high-profile incidents, in 1985 the insurance market abandoned the chiropractic profession, leaving practitioners with no public indemnity coverage. This existential threat to the practice of chiropractic as an accepted health profession in Canada called for drastic steps to be taken.
At the time, Dr. Carey was vice president of the Canadian Chiropractic Association (CCA). Facing a critical situation, the CCA shouldered the responsibility for finding a solution. At the 11th hour, two weeks before the existing insurance policy for chiropractors in Canada expired (December 31, 1985), with Dr. Carey as a driving force, the CCA Board of Directors voted to create a professional “protective fund.”
As a CCA committee, the creation of the fund, early in 1986, with contributions from chiropractors across Canada, was the first step in the formation of the Canadian Chiropractic Protective Association (CCPA).
Within six months, the CCPA became its own, standalone entity. It was a high stakes venture. Without financial reserves and with limited experience in handling professional liability claims, the risks were significant. Dr. Carey was appointed as the first president of CCPA, a role he continued to hold until 2014. Working with Dr. Carey, the late Dr. Donald Bramham was appointed vice president, and their tireless efforts served to ensure that the CCPA got off the ground.
Along with a stable and experienced Board of Directors, CCPA became a viable and vibrant reality. With a formidable reputation for sound financial strategy and astute investments, Dr. Carey’s leadership was instrumental in ensuring the CCPA’s success. Today, CCPA protects over 8,000 members and has significant reserves and claims experience.
In 1987, while still CCA president, Dr. Carey was present at the World Chiropractic Summit, held in London, England. Some years earlier, a delegation of chiropractors to the Middle East had exposed the need for chiropractic to engage with the highest levels of healthcare in order to promote the profession and secure recognition. The vision of a global federation was born out of this and, working alongside Mr. Chapman-Smith, in 1987 Dr. Carey seconded a proposal to form a Presidents’ Committee, which was charged with exploring the viability of such a federation being formed to represent the chiropractic profession internationally.
Dr. Carey’s enthusiastic support of the proposal was a key driver when it was important to get all of the large national chiropractic associations on board with the idea of a global organization to advance the profession.
One year later, in October 1988, with almost 900 delegates in attendance from 23 countries, the World Chiropractic Congress was held in Australia to celebrate both the 50th anniversary of the Australian Chiropractors Association and the bicentenary of Australia’s founding as a nation. On October 4, 1988, the Presidents’ Committee reconvened at the Intercontinental Hotel in Sydney and, in the presence of 17 countries, a resolution to draft a constitution forming the World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) was passed unanimously (ratified by the first Assembly of Members in 1991).
Dr. Carey joined the WFC Council (now the Board of Directors) in 1992. He served on the Council for a total of 14 years, finally stepping down in 2006. Having passed through the executive offices of the WFC, he was elected as its sixth president in 2002, serving a two-year term of office. During this time, alongside Drs. Gerry Clum and Peter Dixon, Dr. Carey served as a co-chair on one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken by the WFC – a Global Identity Consultation. A worldwide survey gathered the views of almost 30,000 chiropractors plus other key stakeholders from both within and outside the profession. Consensus was achieved, resulting in a number of identity statements being produced and a clear framework upon which chiropractic could promote itself worldwide.
Continuing his engagement with the profession in general and CCPA in particular, Dr. Carey was a published author. With experience managing high-value cases involving cervical artery dissection, he published works including a 1993 report on the occurrence of cerebral vascular accidents in chiropractic practice and a further paper co-authored with Dr. Scott Haldeman in 2011.
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?
