Home About the CAA20th Anniversary Sports Chiropractic Australia

World Masters Games Sydney 2009

The World Masters Games held in Sydney last September boasted the largest contingent of chiropractic practitioners at a sporting event and was the highlight of Sports Chiropractic Australia’s (SCA) many achievements, according to SCA Chairman, Dr Peter Garbutt.

Dr Garbutt said SCA and Macquarie University, with support from CAA National, created the largest ever chiropractic event in the world, with 114 students and 67 chiropractors providing treatment to athletes competing in 16 different sports over the nine days of competition. “More than 5000 treatments were provided with approximately 30% to patients receiving their first chiropractic adjustment,” Dr Garbutt said.

“This is an amazing result and demonstrates the commitment of chiropractors to their profession and the public; practitioners travelled from country NSW, the ACT, Victoria, New Zealand and even the UK to participate in the games."

This special interest group began life as the Sports Council in 1980, initiated by Dr Noel Patterson in response to the lack of chiropractic involvement in elite sport. The group had several incarnations before being formally established in its current guise as the SCA in 2008.

SCA aims to provide support to chiropractors interested in sports chiropractic by providing opportunities to be involved in sporting events, facilitating further learning opportunities and being an advocate for chiropractors working in the sporting field.

It also endeavours to use sport to promote chiropractors and the chiropractic profession to the public.

And the World Masters Games certainly met these objectives with more than 28,000 participants from 95 countries in attendance.

Dr Garbutt said the SCA Committee was continuing to work hard towards achieving their future goals including the creation of a position for a chiropractor with the Australian Olympic Team core medical services.

“We are currently in discussions with the Australian Olympic Committee to try to achieve this. We are also hoping to create a recognised specialty of Sports Chiropractic, which will involve working closely with CAA National, the Council on Chiropractic Education Australasia, Inc and the National Registration Board,” Dr Garbutt said.

“Another key SCA goal is greater involvement with the universities to help direct students interested in sports chiropractic. The current involvement of SCA with university field work programmes is a great start to achieving this.”

Members interested in joining SCA should contact CAA National by phoning (02) 4731 8011 or go to www.chiropractors.asn.au/sports for more information.

The Chiropractors’ Association of Australia
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