“Research is the currency of the chiropractic profession,” says Dr. Richard Brown, Secretary-General of the World Federation of Chiropractic. At the Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation (CCRF), we believe this to be true. Why? Because currency means “to be generally accepted” and the reason that high-quality, evidence-based research is crucial to support the acceptance of our profession as a leading healthcare provider. Interestingly, currency also means a “medium of exchange,” which certainly applies in policy and insurance provider discussions, as these decision-makers are interested i ..read more

The Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation (CCRF) and the Foundation for the Royal College of Chiropractic Sports Sciences – Canada (FRCCSS-C) are pleased to announce awards exceeding $75,000 for four projects in their first cosponsored grant competition. “Through this call we’ve been able to shine a spotlight on the valuable inroads being forged by this country’s dedicated sports chiropractic researchers,” notes Dr. Chad Kulak, CCRF chair. “For athletes, this is about improving performance and returning to play faster. For chiropractors, it’s about accessing a learning module for the trea ..read more

Carol Cancelliere, DC, MPH, PhD Low back pain and other musculoskeletal conditions are top contributors of disability worldwide. The CCGI has been involved in projects with the World Health Organization over the past few years, specifically in response to the WHO Rehabilitation 2030 call for action, which is committed to developing a Package of Interventions for Rehabilitation to support ministries of health in integrating rehabilitation services into health systems. Two sets of projects are highlighted here. A recent study, “A systematic review of clinical practice guidelines for persons with ..read more

An interprofessional project to model the integration of NMSK care on funded primary care teams The cross-Canada project: “All hands-on deck! Enhancing comprehensive primary care by integrating musculoskeletal care (chiropractic) on interprofessional teams – supporting education, competency attainment and optimizing integration” led by Drs. Deborah Kopansky-Giles (CMCC) and Ayla Azad (CCA) received the maximum grant award from the Foundation for Advancing Family Medicine (FAFM) – Workplace Integrated Demonstration Project Grant (WID). “This study provides the opportunity to model the integrat ..read more

Spine, muscle and nervous system pain has many causes including physical trauma, poor posture, repetitive motion, overuse, and wear and tear. The pain may be so disruptive that it keeps you from falling asleep, leaving you fatigued and unable to focus on simple tasks, or interferes with your daily activities, either at home or work. Fortunately, there are many ways to reduce spine, muscle and nervous system pain: Exercise: Physical activity—which helps to increase strength, flexibility, and joint mobility—is an important aspect of overall health and can help reduce your pain.1 Exer ..read more

The CCA was back in Ottawa for another successful advocacy day. We had the opportunity to meet with MP Bonita Zarrillo, MP Cathay Wagantall, MP Pat Kelly, MP Robert Kitchen, MP Fraser Tolie, MP Chad Collins, Senator Gigi Osler, and two advisors from the Ministries of Health and the Ministry of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development. We had some engaging conversations around expanding the eligibility of the Canada Student Loan Forgiveness Program to include chiropractors, making chiropractic care more accessible for our Canadian Armed Forces members, and ..read more

Canadian chiropractor and powerlifter Dr. Derick Luu battled through injuries and faced strong competition for seven years. Now finally, he holds the title of national champion. But it didn’t come easily. Over the years, he was struck with various back, hip, and shoulder injuries from powerlifting (squatting, bench pressing, and deadlifting a weighted barbell); he contemplated never competing again and almost gave up on his goal of winning a national title to earn a place on Team Canada and compete at a World Powerlifting Championship. It was hard finding the right rehabilitation professional ..read more

Photos by Curling Canada and Andrew Klaver photography  For Dr. Brigitte MacPhail, curling has always been a way of life. Growing up in Grand Falls, New Brunswick, Dr. MacPhail was raised in a family of avid curlers, who encouraged her to start playing in grade three. She excelled in high school curling, winning the provincial championship in 2005 before going on to win a New Brunswick provincial title in 2007. In 2021, she was scouted by the Nunavut team’s coach, Donalda Mattie, to play as their designated out-of-province curler and skip. It was with a resounding ‘yes’ that she accepted ..read more

Summer is well underway and water activities are in full-swing. Whether it’s at a nearby lake, beach, or swimming pool, it’s time to talk about water exercises and why they’re good for you. Here are nine benefits of exercising (particularly swimming) in water: There’s low impact on your joints: Water gives you buoyancy—i.e., you float! This decreases the impact on your joints, so when you swim or exercise in the water, you have a lower risk of injury. It does a better job at keeping you cool: Working out can cause you to overheat, especially in the summer. Exercising in the water helps the b ..read more

A career in healthcare always called to Dr. Shannon McEwen, who found her pathway to chiropractic at a school career fair booth promoting the Southern California University of Health Science chiropractic program. When she graduated top of her class and began practicing in Toronto’s beaches neighborhood, she was comfortable, but it was a call from a former classmate that took her career on a new and unexpected trajectory. “Two years after graduation, my colleague reached out to say that a music group in town was in need of a chiropractor; he asked if I could I go to the show that night.” Armed ..read more