Vincentians treated to free chiropractic care

Last week, the public was on the receiving end of free chiropractic care, thanks to the goodwill of a visiting team of professionals.{{more}}

ChiroMission, a charitable organisation based in the United States of America, arrived in the country on Tuesday, May 31, with a team of 13 chiropractors.

Dr. Jean-Claude Doornick, ChiroMission president and co-founder, said that the team had been invited to assist in St. Vincent and the Grenadines by Fidel Caesar, chairman of the local Medical Relief Association (MRA).

He said that the organisation’s mission is to educate people in Third World countries about the importance of correct posture and maintaining good spinal health.

Doornick explained: “What people really need is to learn how to be healthy, because there is not enough healthcare to take care of sick people.”

The team ran clinics at the Peace Memorial Hall and Thomas Saunders Secondary School on Wednesday; Her Majesty’s Prison (male) and the St. Martin Secondary School on Thursday; and were at the School of Nursing, the Police Training School and in the Carapan community on Friday, June 3.

ChiroMission’s team members are no strangers to SVG’s shores, though. They first visited in July 2010, and plan to make this an annual event.

Ereen Archibald, MRA public relations officer, said that on its previous visit, ChiroMission had treated approximately 600 – 800 people.

Archibald added that the MRA enables visits by a variety of medical professionals. Recently, there was a team of dentists and ENT (ear, nose and throat) specialists; and they are hoping to bring a team of dental hygienists in the near future.

Doornick revealed that he hopes to introduce a chiropractic school in SVG, which would facilitate an exchange of learning and skills between overseas chiropractic students and local youth.

“Once we establish a presence here… through a medical school… we can create a speciality. Then, people from the US can come do clinic work here… and these children through that programme, with grants, can go to America and become chiropractors then come back to take care of their people,” he enthused.

“It’s a long process but I’ve got a lot of time!”

Chiropractors offer a non-invasive, hands-on health care service that provides diagnosis, treatment and preventative care for disorders related to the spine, pelvis, nervous system and joints.