Celebrating Alberta's 1,000 regulated members

Committed to quality care and upholding public trust

EDMONTON, Sept. 25, 2013 /CNW/ - With 90 years of chiropractic regulation in Alberta, Alberta's chiropractors are very proud to announce we have licensed our 1,000^th member.

"From the first chiropractors in Lethbridge in the early 1910s to our 1,000 members today, Alberta's chiropractors are committed to providing quality care," says Dr. Clark Mills, president of the Alberta College and Association of Chiropractors (ACAC).  "There are just that many more of us out there helping Albertans every day."

Chiropractic has a long and proud history of self-regulation and participation in Alberta's health care system. In 1923, Alberta's Chiropractic Act, the first in Canada, saw 32 chiropractors licensed. As early as 1924, injured workers sought chiropractic care as part of the Workers' Compensation Board. And today, Alberta is recognized for the highest global chiropractic utilization rate.

This strong history has seen more than half of Albertans visiting a chiropractor, with close to one million seeking chiropractic care each year. In 2012, current Alberta patients reported a 93 per cent satisfaction with chiropractic services.

"Obviously Albertans see great value in chiropractic care and they make Alberta a great place to practice. We are so very honoured to celebrate this milestone for the chiropractic profession," says Dr. Mills.

"As a trusted health care profession, we are passionate about helping Albertans lead healthier, more active lives. The chiropractic profession continues to grow, offering Albertans a viable health care option."

The ACAC regulates the chiropractic profession in Alberta under the Health Professions Act and is firmly committed to its mandate of protecting the public, ensuring accountability and improving Albertans' health and well-being. www.albertachiro.com

Backgrounder/Fact Sheet

Numbers of chiropractors across Canada

• British Columbia: 1,112
• Saskatchewan: 194
• Manitoba: 280
• Ontario: 4,487
• Quebec: 1,250
• New Brunswick: 65
• Nova Scotia: 140
• Prince Edward Island: 8
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 66

What is chiropractic/what do chiropractors do?

• Doctors of Chiropractic (chiropractors) are specifically educated and trained to diagnose, treat and help prevent conditions related to the spine, nervous system and musculoskeletal system
• Patients seek treatment from a chiropractor for a variety of conditions including:
• Back and neck pain
• Headaches
• Motor vehicle injury accident injuries
• Sports injuries
• Workplace injuries
• Research continues to prove the value of chiropractic care with consistently high marks for clinical effectiveness, cost efficiency and patient satisfaction
• Chiropractic treatment has excellent return-to-work outcomes and has held the highest satisfaction rates among injured workers for almost a decade

Well-educated and highly trained spine care experts

• Chiropractors complete a minimum of seven years accredited post-secondary education, including a four-year, chiropractic-specific program that focuses on neuromusculoskeletal diagnosis and treatment
• In addition to 4,500 classroom hours, students treat patients in a supervised clinic setting during their final two years of education
• To practice in Alberta, chiropractors must pass stringent national competency exams and maintain ongoing professional competency through approved seminars and courses

Treatment Albertans count on

• Almost one million Albertans visit a chiropractor each year
• More than half of Albertans have been treated by a chiropractor (Ipsos Reid, 2012)
• Chiropractic services received a 93% satisfaction rating among current patients in Alberta (Ipsos Reid, 2012)
• 2011 Consumer Reports respondents preferred chiropractic over medication, deep-tissue massage and over-the-counter remedies for back and neck pain

Image with caption: "Celebrating Alberta's 1,000 regulated members (CNW Group/Alberta College and Association of Chiropractors)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130925_C4474_PHOTO_EN_31338.jpg

SOURCE: Alberta College and Association of Chiropractors

For further information:

Media contact:
Tara Madden, Public Relations
Alberta College and Association of Chiropractors
780.420.0932 (office) /780.999.8047 (cell) 
[e-mail]