Subject: Activator Methods Chiropractic Technique: General Articles

Title: Technique Systems used by post-1980 graduates of the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College practicing in five Canadian provinces: a preliminary survey

Reference: Chad Mykietiuk,DC; Megan Wambolt,BSc,DC; Travis Pillipow,BSc,DC; Christa Mallay,BA,DC; Brian Gleberzon,BA,DC....JCCA 2009; 53(1): pp. 32-39

Abstracts: The purpose of this study was to survey 200 randomly selected post-1980 graduates of the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College practicing in five Canadian provinces to determine which, if any, technique systems they sought out instruction in and/or are utilizing either primarily or secondarily for patient care. Using a systematic sampling approach, 83 eligible data sets were received. Respondents reported to have sought out instruction in a total of 187 technique systems other than Diversified technique. In addition, although 86% of respondents stated they primarily used Diversified technique in practice, they reportedly used 134 different technique systems secondarily for patient care. This calculates to an average of 2.27 different techniques used per respondent. Future studies should survey a larger percentage of practitioners to better assess the validity of these findings.

Introduction: In recent years graduates of chiropractic programs in the United States of America and elsewhere have been returning to Canada to practice chiropractic in ever-increasing numbers. Since many chiropractic programs instruct students in several different technique systems, many of these graduates may return to Canada clinically competent to utilize many more technique systems than their Canadian-trained cohorts, something that is often discussed during meetings of the Technique Consortium of the Association of Chiropractic Colleges (Gleberzon-personal communication). This is because most Canadian trained chiropractors attended the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) where Diversifed technique has been the only technique system taught in the program since the late 1970s.

Methods: This study was approved by the Ethics Review Board of CMCC. The study design utilized a confidential multiquestion survey. Using a systematic sampling approach, the survey was administered by mail to 40 chiropractors in each of the following provinces: British Columbia,
Saskatchewan, Ontario, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. The survey consisted of five questions developed by the authors in order to identify CMCC alumni who graduated in 1980 or later.

Key Indexing Terms: chiropractic; technique systems