Manual medicine techniques, including spinal manipulation, have been practiced for centuries in certain parts of the world, but the profession of chiropractic as we know it today began in the United States in the 1890s. Chiropractic developed as a standalone profession during those early years and earned legal recognition and broader acceptance during the 1960s and 1970s. Chiropractic services are now largely integrated with mainstream healthcare services in many countries. According to the World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC), the practice of chiropractic is now recognized and regulated in about 40 countries around the world. As chiropractic research, education and licensing standards continue to improve, chiropractic will reach more people in more places with its message of natural health and healing.
Chiropractic in Canada & the USA
The WFC notes that there are approximately 8,000 chiropractors in Canada and 65,000 chiropractors in the United States. In Canada and the United States, chiropractors are considered primary care providers and musculoskeletal health experts and chiropractic is a highly regulated profession. Chiropractic is now one of the largest healthcare professions in North America and a 2005 study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics reports that doctors of chiropractic are well integrated into the healthcare systems of Canada and the United States. According to the WFC, chiropractic services in the United States are now available in the military and veterans’ administration hospitals and health care systems. The U.S. Department of Labor notes that employment of chiropractors is expected to jump by 28 percent between 2010 and 2020 as an increasing number of people become interested in natural, non-surgical treatment approaches.
Canadian and American chiropractors diagnose and treat a wide variety of ailments and have the authority to order lab and imaging studies, if required. The scope of practice among chiropractors in these two countries varies from state to state and province to province. Most jurisdictions, however, allow chiropractors the right to use common diagnostic methods, refer patients to appropriate specialists and co-manage a patient’s health with another healthcare provider. Many chiropractors in Canada and the United States can offer the following therapies in addition to spinal manipulation: soft tissue work, rehabilitative exercises, physical therapy modalities and nutritional and lifestyle counseling. With additional training, chiropractors in some U.S. states can practice obstetrical and minor surgical procedures, and one state (New Mexico) allows “advanced practice” trained chiropractors to prescribe certain medications.
Chiropractic in Europe & the UK
The chiropractic profession is well established in the United Kingdom and chiropractic services are becoming increasingly available in many European countries. A study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics states that chiropractic has matured as a profession in Europe over the past several decades and that the manual techniques employed by European chiropractors vary considerably according to country. A 2001 article published in Dynamic Chiropractic, however, notes that chiropractic in Europe is not a unified profession and that each European country has chosen its own chiropractic path. There is no common legislation for the chiropractic profession in Europe; some countries (e.g., Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Belgium) regulate chiropractic under common law, while in other countries (e.g., Italy), chiropractic is regulated through local regulations and courtmandated guidelines, according to the article.
The American Chiropractic Association (using statistics from the WFC) states that the United Kingdom has approximately 2,000 chiropractors. The British Chiropractic Association - the largest and longest-standing chiropractic association in the UK - reports that members of their association provide to patients a “package of care” that, along with conventional chiropractic adjustments, includes lifestyle counseling, exercise advice and, in some cases, medical acupuncture or dry needling. According to a 2010 study published in the journal Chiropractic and Osteopathy, chiropractors in the UK generally consider themselves primary contact healthcare practitioners, regardless of the country in which they were educated or how long they had been in practice.
Chiropractic Elsewhere Around the World
Interest in chiropractic services is increasing in many countries around the world, and a growing number of accredited chiropractic colleges are forming in places such as Australia, Denmark, France, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and South Korea. Chiropractic services have been well received in many Central and South American countries and chiropractic care is quickly gaining traction in Asian cities such as Jakarta, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong. In 2005, the World Health Organization, in partnership with the WFC, published a guideline on minimum educational standards for chiropractic education and the regulation of chiropractic by national governments - a clear sign of chiropractic’s increasing global reach.
Disclaimer: Information contained in The Wellness ExpressTM newsletter is for educational and general purposes only and is designed to assist you in making informed decisions about your health. Any information contained herein is not intended to substitute advice from your physician or other healthcare professional. Copyright © - The Wellness ExpressTM
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