Chiropractic charge ‘therapeutic’

Press, 29 November 1978, Page 7

Chiropractic charge ‘therapeutic ’

PA Wellington If the Government paid for chiropractic care patients might not obtain the same p s ychotherapeutic benefit from treatment, the Nurses’ Association has told the Commission of Inquiry into Chiropractic. The Association’s executive director (Jiss Shona Carey) said it appeared that the atmosphere of the treatment and the manner of the chiropractor had a considerable effect on the patient. “It is possible that if a benefit is introduced the present advantages of atmosphere, pleasant reception and personalised attention may be lost and at the same time the psychotherapeutic benefit many patients seem to obtain from a chiropractor may be diminished. “Direct payment for service often enhances the effectiveness of the service: for the money spent the patient is determined to obtain results proportional to the amount spent,” said Miss Carey. “Nurses regard the psychotherapeutic benefit often obtained by patients as being of considerable importance.” The Association made the following recommendations: There should be research and evaluation of chiropractic treatment be-

fore any benefit is instituted. As patients have a right to be treated by professionally qualified personnel, training for chiropractors should be standardised before any benefit is paid. As patients have the right to free health care a benefit should be paid for service by a qualified chiropractor. Patients must be referred to a chiropractor by a doctor before a benefit is paid. An established code of practice for chiropractors must be set. Under no circumstances should a benefit be considered for other than the treatment of spinal complaints. The commission also heard from Chief Traffic Officer R. Peters of Tawa, who said that thousands

of motorists whom he stopped had difficulty getting out of their cars or were in pain. He said he had told hundreds of these people to go to a chiropractor. Many of them had later thanked him and told him they had been cured or given relief through treatment. Mr Peters said health benefits should be paid for chiropractic treatment and he said that the medical association was too much of a “closed shop.” In a postscript to his written submission, he said: “Dpctors and related professions are nearly all biased and narrow-minded in their views. They may be well educated but education does not necessarily mean intelligence.” Personal testimony of how chiropractic had helped them was given by 14 Wellington persons.