Attitudes towards chiropractic: an analysis of written comments from a survey of Canadian sport and exercise medicine physicians

Objective: To analyze and discuss the written survey comments of Canadian sport and exercise medicine physicians (CSPs) and their attitudes towards chiropractic, including its use for the treatment of athletes and/or Canadians who participate in sports or exercise. Study Design: Online survey. Subjects: Active physician members of the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine (CASEM). Seventy physicians completed the survey (11% response rate), twenty-seven (39%) left written comments. Intervention: An invitation to complete the survey was included in the monthly newsletter emailed to all CASEM members in March and April 2023. A card with a link to the survey was distributed to all attendees of the 2023 CASEM symposium. Outcome Measures: We administered a 49-item survey to CASEM physicians that inquired into demographic variables and their attitudes towards chiropractic. The survey included an open-ended section at the end of the survey where respondents were invited to include written comments. Our present analysis is restricted to these comments, and they are the primary outcome measure. Results: Seventy physicians completed the survey and twenty-seven provided written comments. Our analysis revealed six themes and ten sub-themes represented in physician’s comments. Previous frameworks informed our current themes. Reported themes were: ‘variability amongst chiropractors’ (n=15), ‘personal experience with chiropractic’ (n=5), ‘concerns with chiropractic treatment’ (n=12), ‘ethicsunethical behaviour’ (n=4), ‘chiropractic training’ (n=3), ‘chiropractic terminologys are misleading’ (n=2). Subthemes that were endorsed by at least two physicians include: ‘serious adverse events’, ‘chiropractors rely on manipulation only’, ‘chiropractors treat excessively’, ‘similar treatment could be provided by physiotherapists’, ‘chiropractic is unscientific’, ‘chiropractors are poorly trained’, ‘chiropractors are well-trained’, ‘chiropractors are overly financially motivated’, ‘positive and negative personal experiences with chiropractors’. Conclusions: Our analysis revealed a number of issues that will need to be considered for chiropractic to advance its integration into the field of sports medicine.