Attitudes towards chiropractic: a survey of Canadian sport and exercise medicine physicians

TL;DR

This study surveyed Canadian sports medicine physicians to understand their attitudes toward chiropractic care for athletes and active individuals.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the attitudes of Canadian sport and exercise medicine physicians toward chiropractic care.

Findings

CSPs who worked with chiropractors had significantly more positive attitudes toward chiropractic care.

Survey responses ranged from very positive to extremely negative attitudes toward chiropractic.

The study found a 11% response rate from CSPs who completed the Chiropractic Attitude Questionnaire.

Abstract

Previous surveys of physicians revealed diverse attitudes towards chiropractic. One of several strategies proposed by leaders in chiropractic to support the advancement of the profession in North America is to increase opportunities for interprofessional collaboration. One area where chiropractic has achieved some degree of integration in Canada is in the field of sports medicine. A result of the increased integration of chiropractic in the field of sports medicine has been more opportunity for interprofessional collaboration, development of interprofessional relationships and increased exposure to chiropractic. The attitudes of Canadian sport and exercise medicine physicians (CSPs) towards chiropractic are unknown. The purpose of this study is to determine the attitudes and their contributing factors of CSPs toward chiropractic and its use for treatment of athletes and/or Canadians who are participating in sports or exercise (ACSE).

An invitation to complete the survey was included in a newsletter emailed to active physician members of CASEM (Canadian Academy of Sports and Exercise Medicine) in March and April 2023 and attendees of their symposium. The survey included the Chiropractic Attitude Questionnaire (CAQ), which allowed respondents to indicate their attitudes towards chiropractic care for ACSE using a 5-point Likert scale. The responses to the CAQ were the primary outcome measure. Descriptive statistics, including mean, median, standard deviation, maximum, minimum and range, regression analysis, t-tests, and ANOVAs were used to analyse the data.

Seventy CSPs completed the survey (response rate: 11%). The summed CAQ scores ranged from 0 to 68 with a mean of 39.03 and a standard deviation of 15.30. CSPs who worked with a chiropractor in a multidisciplinary setting hold a more positive opinion of chiropractic. An independent samples t-test indicated that there was a significant difference between CAQ scores for those with experience of working with a chiropractor (M = 42.03, SD = 14.99) and those without (M = 29.41, SD = 13.10); t(58) = 3.27, p < 0.05.

CSPs attitudes toward chiropractic and its use for treatment of ACSE range from very positive to extremely negative. CSPs who reported to have worked with a chiropractor have more positive attitudes than those that have not.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12998-025-00581-4.

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