COVER STORY PATIENT CARE A pain strategy discussion I Is the chiropractic community closer than ever to getting a seat at the table? B y N estor A rellANo Despite this, Stewart is among a growing number of chiropractors that are hopeful the situation is about to change. They are pinning their hopes on the efforts to develop a national pain strategy in Canada, which appears to have found new momentum. The idea of a national pain strategy for Canada is nothing new. For instance, in 2012 the Canadian Pain Society called for such a strategy during the organization’s summit meeting in Ottawa. However, the federal government at that time failed to adopt the strategy put forward by the organization, which is made up of health-care practitioners, educators and patients from all over the country. NESTOR ARELLANO is a Toronto-based journalist who writes about health, technology and business. In his spare time he loves to explore bike paths in and around the city. 20 Canadian Chiropractor July/August 2018 pain – a survey of existing benchmarks.” Pain Research & Management www.canadianchiropractor.ca Photo: Adobe stock t’s a scenario that plays out every day in countless chiropractor offices across the country: A patient presents with chronic pain. However, the attending chiropractor finds himself with scarce information about the patient’s medical history. Without access to medical records, diagnostic imaging and DID YOU other specialists treating the patient, it’s very dif-ficult for a chiropractor to accurately diagnose the KNOW? The Canadian patient’s condition and develop the appropriate Pain Society Task plan of treatment. Force on Wait Chronic pain is complicated. “It comes with a Times deter-variety of implications, which could include fac-tors such as depression, disability – even sleep mined that wait disturbance. In many instances, it requires more times for chronic than one type of health-care provider,” says Dr. pain conditions beyond six Gregory Stewart, past president of the World months are Federation of Chiropractic – North America Re-medically gion (Canada), and owner of the St. Anne’s Rd unacceptable Chiropractic clinic in Winnipeg. However, chiro-practors often find themselves out of the patient and that, in record-sharing loop and left to “tease out the many cases, six months is far too entire patient profile from the patient.” “It’s not a matter of being excluded, we are not long to wait for care. included … I don’t think [chiropractors] are top of Lynch, M.E., et al. mind when it comes to coming up with a solution,” (2007) “Waiting for treatment for chronic Stewart says. Chiropractic has a role to play Media attention and public outcry over the recent opioid addiction crisis as well as the sustained efforts by research and advocacy groups clamouring for better pain management, have swung the spotlight back on a national pain strategy agenda. And, chi-ropractic has a role to play. “Until recently, there’s been a lot of misunder-standing about chronic pain, resulting in pain be-ing stigmatized and under-treated,” says Maria Hudspith, executive director of Pain BC, a not-for-profit organization working to improve the lives of people in pain. “Chronic pain must be a national priority if we’re going to tackle this serious – and costly – problem. Multi-modal treatment involving an interdisciplinary team approach is needed.”
Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor July/August 2018: Page 20
