In the April 21 issue, we reported that Quebec chiropractors had been stripped of their ability to diagnose patients and order laboratory tests.1 The superior court ruling was handed down after a two-year battle that pitted the Quebec Chiropractors Association (Association des Chiropracticiens du Québec- ACQ) and the Association of Students in Chiropractic (Université duQuébec á Trois-Riviéres - ASC/UQTR) against the Officedes Professions du Québec (OPQ), a governmental agency responsiblefor protecting the public and overseeing training standards.
The Canadian Federation of Chiropractic Regulatory Boards (CFCRB) has announced it is joining the fight against the Quebec government to reverse the law, so that diagnosis will once again be included in a chiropractor's scope of practice. In a press release, Dr. Wanda Lee MacPhee, CFCRB president, issued the following statement: "The CFCRB is pleased to join with the Ordredes Chiropracticiens du Québec (Quebec Order of Chiropractors - QOC) and other interested organizations in supporting the request for an amendment to the Chiropractic Act by the Quebec government to expressly include diagnosis of neuromusculoskeletal disorders."2
Dr. MacPhee met with Richard L. Cole, DC, president of the U.S. Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB) and Dr. Normand Denis, QOC president, on Sept. 18 in Montreal, to discuss the current situation and survey the practice of diagnosis among chiropractors in Quebec, Canada and the United States. The panel convened as part of the "Quebec Chiropractic Workshop," Sept. 19-21, in which "Chiropractic Diagnosis Imaging at the Service of the Population" was the main theme.3
Drs. MacPhee, Cole and Denis agree that Quebec should adopt a law aligned with those of the United States and other Canadian provinces, whose governments permit doctors of chiropractic to diagnose and order lab tests.
"For 108 years, since the beginning of chiropractic treatment, the diagnosis of neuromuscularskeletal deficiencies has been central to the scientific and clinical development of our profession," said Dr. Denis. "Today, over 66,000 chiropractors in the USA and Canada provide treatment for millions of patients each year and, obviously, to do this they make chiropractic diagnoses."3
Dr. Cole agrees that there is no point in having Quebec chiropractors excluded from diagnosing patients when it is legal in the rest of Canada and the U.S. "Chiropractors receive full training in diagnosis, and this indeed is a requirement for recognition by Canadian and U.S. accrediting bodies," he said.4
References
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?
