Response of Chiropractic Organizations to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Descriptive Report

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this report is to describe actions by chiropractic entities during the early stages of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: Large entities that support chiropractic education or practice were invited to participate in this report. Leaders of various entities were emailed an invitation. A designee who was assigned by the leader provided a brief synopsis of actions the entity had taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Only entities that responded are included in this report. Results: Five entities agreed to participate: The Council on Chiropractic Education, Association of Chiropractic Colleges, Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards, National Board of Chiropractic Examiners, and the National Chiropractic Mutual Insurance Company. Common themes included (1) recognizing the crisis and taking action, (2) establishing a safe working environment for staff so that services could continue, (3) delivering communications to stakeholders (chiropractic students, practitioners, licensing boards, and others) to guide decisions and direct actions, and (4) continuing to monitor the situation and respond as new information becomes available. Conclusion: These entities serve a large portion of the chiropractic profession. They have been quick to respond in a responsible, compassionate, and supportive manner to assist chiropractic licensing boards, practitioners, and students during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings are encouraging as the chiropractic profession looks to the future as it navigates changes in education and the health care environment in the months and years ahead. (J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2020;43;405.e1−405.e7)

COVID-19 Infectious Disease Prevention and Mitigation Practices by Chiropractic Physicians and Licensed Massage Therapists in Mississippi: A Needs Assessment to Inform Health Education and Promotion

“…Hardships included a reduction in numbers of patients seen, especially by LMTs and older therapists, and in limiting numbers of acute care patients seen, by both DCs and LMTs, causing reported economic hardship. Consistent with prompt appropriate public health advocacy and support of CDC guidance by large national chiropractic organizations and boards of licensure for DCs and LMTs in Mississippi, 5 , 6 , 14 there was high compliance with table sanitizing and hand sanitization procedures between all patients and referrals for COVID-19 testing and treatment when indicated. However, confusion regarding use and lack of full public support for such procedures as masking, the effectiveness and availability of personal protective equipment, and distancing may have undermined practitioner confidence in these and some other mitigation protocols where compliance was only moderate.…”

Changes in the Use of Telehealth and Face-To-Face Chiropractic Care in the Department of Veterans Affairs Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Since telehealth was rare in VHA chiropractic care before the pandemic, many VHA chiropractors may not have had the experience, familiarity, or training to adopt telehealth. Others have described barriers and facilitators of implementing chiropractic telehealth primarily outside of the VHA system during the early pandemic days [22][23][24][25] .…”

“…At that time very little was known about the delivery of chiropractic care via telehealth in the VHA or broader US healthcare system. In the following year, works describing chiropractor perceptions 22,23 and institutional and regulatory policy 24,25 have provided some insight into aspects of chiropractic care during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, yet to date there are no published data on service use. This growing trend towards telehealth in the wake of the pandemic requires description of the extent to which chiropractic care was able to be delivered in a telehealth environment.…”

Response of Practicing Chiropractors during the Early Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Descriptive Report

“…22 Chiropractic primarily focuses on physiological and biomechanical aspects of health, including spinal, musculoskeletal, and neurological components, but also includes consideration of psychological, social, and environmental relationships, which is congruent with the biopsychosocial model of care. [23][24][25][26] It has been suggested that chiropractic care "offers potential for costÀeffective management of neuromusculoskeletal disorders." 16 Thus, chiropractors may contribute to reducing the global burden of back and neck pain.…”