Serving the Profession in Afghanistan Continued from Page 11 country with a semi-arid to arid climate. Geographical elevation varies from 1,000 to 9,000 feet ASL. Temperatures vary season- ally. Seasons are similar to Canada; however, the temperature range is different. In Kandahar province, summer highs may reach 55 degrees Celsius and winter lows of minus 5 degrees Celsius. The armoured vehicles currently in use by the reconstruction detachments are the RG 31, or Nyala, and the LAV III. The Nyala is a South African design that has been proven to be very effective at minimizing the explosive effects of road-side bombs or Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), suicide attacks and mine strikes. However, the vehicle has limited space and stiff suspension, making cross-country driving hazardous, thus leading to excessive compressive loading of the spine. For those soldiers deployed “outside the wire,” sleep conditions became a compounding stress factor. The require- ments for maintaining security will reduce the quality and quantity of sleep. Afghanistan poses asymmetrical stressors on the soldier. The war on terrorism is not a conventional war like the World Wars. For the most part there is no front line. The threat may come from anywhere, at anytime. The enemy does not respect the Geneva Convention and thus they cannot be distinguished from the civilian population. They will employ tactics that are illegal according to international law. The Taliban will target innocent Dr. Tondreau’s detachment, Task Force Afghanistan 306, Rotation 2, after their last patrol … next stop – home! Dr. Tondreau is seen in the ground row, third from the right. •Comfortable • Portable • Easy to use • Designed for patient in-home use Professional Pricing Single Unit Price 2 to 5 Unit Price $260.13 each $239.20 each $260.13 each $239.20 each each Prices subject to change without notice. All Prices are in Canadian Dollars. Pricing does not include shipping or GST. •Comfortable • Portable • Easy to use • Designed for patient in-home use civilians in their attacks. As a result, the emotional stress of living and working in this type of environment will result in physiological stress reactions that potentiate the physical stressors. The daily exposure to physical, emotional, thermal and chemical stressors will inevitably compromise the well- being of the soldier. Chiropractic has an obvious role in providing health care to these men and women. Due to this high incidence of musculoskeletal injuries to coalition soldiers, Major Savage immediately recognized the value of providing chiropractic to the soldiers. This attitude was echoed by many other medical staff. However, the Surgeon General of the CF Medical Branch felt that there was not enough time to include chiropractic in the terms of reference that had been specified for Dr. Tondreau – the process for its inclusion would be much longer than his deploy- ment period – and, therefore, stated that it was her opinion that offering chiropractic was not feasible for him. The bottom line became that, due to a bureauocratic technicality, chiropractic services were officially eliminated from Dr. Tondreau’s scope of duties. However, Tondreau and the medical staff at the Kandahar Airfield medical facility will be looking into the matter to assure that if, in future, a chiropractor is deployed to their location, that chiropractor will be officially permitted to treat soldiers and other patients. “The need for chiropractic in this environment is self-evident – and the government must be made aware of this,” states Dr. Tondreau. C.O.D. or prepay by cheque Suggested Patient Price $299.00 30 Day Conditional money back guarantee. LASHAW DISTRIBUTORS LTD. Richmond, B.C., Canada Tel: (604) 270-4263 • Fax: (604) 277-2154 • Toll Free: 1-800-667-7795 Web site address: www.invertrac.com E-mail address: [email protected] 42 • CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | DECEMBER 2007 THE AFTERMATH FOR DR. DENIS TONDREAU Dr. Tondreau has returned to his chiropractic practice but continues to serve in the Canadian Forces. He currently resides on a small farm outside of Ottawa with his wife and three children. He built a solar/wind-powered home six years ago, grows organic foods for the family’s own consumption, produces maple syrup and has several horses for recreational equestrian and farm work. He is expected to deploy again within the next several years to the Sudan.• www.canadianchiropractor.ca
Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor December 2007: Page 42
