UK BEAM Report & Other Research
A Medical Research Council clinical trial and its follow-up, reported in The British Medical Journal in 1990 and 1995, found that manipulation treatment of back pain by practitioners including chiropractors, was more effective than hospital outpatient treatment. The European Commission Acute Low Back Pain Guidelines includes manipulation as an effective treatment for low back pain.
The UK BEAM Trial was a study which was carried out in The United Kingdom through The University of York, to compare various methods of back pain treatment including Chiropractic manipulation, exercise and no treatment at all (a control).
Visit: The University of York for more information.
Qualifications of a Chiropractor
Michael H Smith holds a Bachelor of Science from Sydney University with a double major in Physiology and Anatomy plus a Master of Chiropractic from Macquarie University; also in Sydney Australia.
BSc
- YR 1: Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Biology.
- YR 2: Histology, Biochemistry, Anatomy, Physiology
- YR 3: Pharmacology, Pathology, Anatomy, Physiology
MChiro
- YR 1: Radiology, Radiography, Neurology, Biomechanics, Chiro Skills(manipulation tuition), Clinic
- YR 2: Radiology, Radiography, Neurology, Biomechanics, Chiro Skills(manipulation tuition), Business Mgt, Clinic
Those Chiropractic or Osteopathic courses which do not require an undergraduate Science degree usually lead to a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chiropractic or Osteopathy; however all of the Chiropractic courses equip the chiropractor with a licence to take x-rays while Osteopathic courses do not include a licence to take X-Rays. This is a distinguishing feature in the musculoskeletal treatment world, enabling a chiropractor to stand as one of the best equipped professionals to examine X-Rays from a musculoskeletal point of view. Even if they haven’t taken the image themselves, they will definitely analyse the image with spinographic techniques to extract the maximum information for the patient’s benefit, whilst also being alert to soft tissue anomalies and ‘red flags’.
Training in Diagnosis allows the chiropractor to decide whether the patient’s problem falls into his/her domain or should be referred to a more relevant practitioner.
In all cases Chiropractors are qualified and legally registered to practise as Primary Healthcare Practitioners; interfacing with the general public and General Practitioners.