The UK university at Teesside has announced its plan to offer a chiropractic degree. The course will be hosted by its School of Health and Life Sciences and the Department of Allied Health Professions. The designated course leader, Daniel Moore, explains:
“The benefit for us when we developed this curriculum from a blank canvas was not only exciting, but it granted an opportunity for us to do things in a slightly different way. The placement model is something I feel we may see more of in the future because the benefit it gives students is significant from a confidence point of view, and provides interaction with both the profession and patients from the first semester. We also could create our modules from scratch giving us the ability to build context into historically quite fixed modular content whilst staying mapped to the education standards. We also give all students iPads from the start of their degree which will allow us to collaborate and communicate in a really unique and beneficial way throughout the course.”
“I have always been interested in knowledge transfer, and how as individuals we learn and how we develop ourselves. Part of my draw to being a chiropractor was my wanting to help people become the best version of themselves. So it isn’t a great leap to the higher educational world where my goal now is similar, facilitating and leading people towards being the best chiropractor they can be. They can then move into the profession and make a positive impact themselves. I feel I can make a positive difference to the profession here, and that is important to me.”
“My goal in my mind is clear. To create chiropractors that are safe, competent and confident, to go into practice and add value to the chiropractic profession. I also hope I can create students that are excited to graduate and practice chiropractic, I feel we have a lot to offer as chiropractors and students should be excited about that opportunity.”
“I am from the North East of England, so have an affinity to this region. I am passionate about chiropractic and think my history, since being a student shows my willingness to represent that. I was a student member of the NMSK faculty of the College of Medicine as well as being on WIOC Student Council for 4 years. I then moved into practice where I took on delivery of CPD events for the RCC, qualified as an FA Medical Tutor, I was also involved in writing initial material for the RCC’s online Quality Standards offering, and have been involved in multiple British Masters Athletics Medical Team events with a great group of people over the years. I am a dad, to two wonderful boys and a husband to Elaine (also a chiropractor and BCA member). I keep myself fit, and race Cross Country Mountain Bikes and Cyclocross to a national level and plan on competing at the World Masters Championships this August all things being well. Now I lead the chiropractic course at Teesside and I am planning my PhD, I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunities that lay ahead.”
Allow me to add a few points and ask a few questions:
- Mr Moore wants to ‘create chiropractors that are safe, competent and confident’. How about creating therapists who are effective in curing or alleviating disease or symptoms? Has he perhaps realised that, in chiropractic, this is not possible? Do his peers at Teesside know that chiropractic does not generate more good than harm?
- I am fascinated to learn that Mr Moore is now planning to do his PhD. Should a higher degree not have been a precondition to becoming a course leader in academia?
- As far as I can see, Mr Moore has never published a single paper in the peer-reviewed literature. Should a track record in research not have been a precondition to becoming a course leader in academia?
- Does the University of Teesside know that even the most proper (and I fear the course does not even appear to be proper) teaching of nonsense must result in nonsense?
- Have they taken leave of their senses at Teesside university?
30 Responses to New Chiropractic Degree at Teesside University
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Disgraceful. I think I shall write to Teeside Uni’s Principal to question this.
please do – and keep us posted
I shall do.
“Mr Moore wants to ‘create chiropractors that are safe, competent and confident’. How about creating therapists who are effective in curing or alleviating disease or symptoms? Has he perhaps realised that, in chiropractic, this is not possible? Do his peers at Teesside know that chiropractic does not generate more good than harm?”
Is this part of the book promotion or do you have any EVIDANCE to support such claim?
what book promotion?
this blog is full with the evidence you seem to be asking for.
really? because I can find may studies showing otherwise… and guidelines from many countries supporting the use of SMT for acute and chronic LBP so if you make such a claim as “chiropractic does not generate more good than harm” PLEASE show us the evidence
here are a few posts that might help you:
https://edzardernst.com/2019/12/suffering-from-persistent-low-back-pain-forget-about-chiropractic-or-other-scams/
https://edzardernst.com/2019/12/chiropractic-spinal-manipulation-of-children-an-independent-review/
https://edzardernst.com/2019/11/chiropractic-spinal-care-for-children-is-dangerous-unwarranted-and-must-cease-immediately/
https://edzardernst.com/2019/11/chiropractic-spinal-care-for-children-is-dangerous-unwarranted-and-must-cease-immediately/
https://edzardernst.com/2019/05/chiropractic-manipulation-is-not-the-best-therapy-for-back-pain-of-seniors/
https://edzardernst.com/2019/04/a-risk-benefit-assessment-of-chiropractic-neck-manipulation/
https://edzardernst.com/2019/03/no-good-evidence-for-chiropractic-osteopathic-or-other-manual-treatments-for-children-suffering-from-any-condition/
there is much more, if you only care to look
Pseudo-science at its worst…
1. Your first reference is to do with walking improving LBP. It has NOTHING TO DO nor does it mention Chiropractic or SMT effectiveness or safety.
2. The report discusses SMT in under 12 YOA children stating a list of diagnosis where there is lack of evidence. It does not discuss cases of pediatrics LBP or efficacy in the general population.
3. Again arguing pediatrics care…
4. Repeating the same letter
5. “Adding spinal manipulation or supervised rehabilitative exercise to home exercise alone does not appear to improve pain or disability in the short- or long-term for older adults with chronic low back pain, but did enhance satisfaction with care” according to that we should close down all physiotherapy schools???
6. ” Manual therapy does not result in increased risk of CAD”… please READ the article before you manipulate its results to fit your agenda.
7. Again pediatrics… “Fifty studies investigated the clinical effects of manual therapies for a wide variety of pediatric conditions. Moderate-positive overall assessment was found for 3 conditions: low back pain, pulled elbow, and premature infants” once more the actual conclusions are far from what you made of it.
If this is the “evidence” you present than it’s a joke and you should apologize for your non-supported claims.
I AM STILL WAITING TO SEE ON WHAT GROUNDS YOU MADE YOUR CLAIM
I said there is more – and thanks for confirming that you have not understood the concept of risk/benefit
https://edzardernst.com/2018/01/chiropractic-is-not-the-best-treatment-for-back-pain/
https://edzardernst.com/2017/04/we-have-an-ethical-legal-and-moral-duty-to-discourage-chiropractic-neck-manipulations/
https://edzardernst.com/2016/10/chiropractic-manipulation-for-migraine-is-a-placebo-therapy/
https://edzardernst.com/2016/05/chiropractic-treatments-are-placebos/
https://edzardernst.com/2016/03/nice-no-longer-recommends-acupuncture-chiropractic-or-osteopathy-for-low-back-pain/
https://edzardernst.com/2015/08/chiropractic-spinal-manipulation-placebo/
and there is more still
I am looking for real evidance not political statments. For every paper concluding chiropractic is not effective i can show you two papers that show that it does (for specific conditions). You choose to ignore or twist the evidence you don’t like.
and who do you think is more likely to be biased, the man who earns his living through quackery or then independent academic with no conflicts of interest?
@Dr. Guy Almog
Wow. Just wow.
The free iPads will surely attract the right applicants.
@ Björn
If they offer a distance learning course online, perhaps I will sign up from Canada. After training, my skills would be just as useless as if I took in in person, anyway, wouldn’t they? And who doesn’t want a free iPad? I have always been interested in knowledge transfer, too!
“Knowledge transfer” lol….Chiroquackery and knowledge; never the twain shall me.
Oh dear. I thought ‘CAM’ courses were on the wane in universities. It would be a pity to see a resurgence. My friend and neighbour has a BSc degree from Teesside University (in a non CAM field) and one can’t but reflect that a proliferation of such CAM degrees will somehow devalue other degrees from the institution. I must say that the piece of prose seems woolly and incoherent, and I guess perhaps this is a reflection of the lack of clarity around chiropractic. I was reminded of a colleague, K, in the college were I used to teach. She spoke somewhat indignantly of how a lady teaching “crystal healing” to CAM students, had stipulated no more than eight learners in a class, as she didn’t have enough ‘psychic energy’. K said to me “I’ve got to teach the whole group a difficult microbiology Unit – what about MY psychic energy?”.
To be fair you don’t need a PhD nor a research profile to be a course leader – teaching and admin skills, together with a very thick skin.
Having said that this degree is nonsense; I would who the external assessor was to sign such drivel off? Somewhat ironically the course includes this module.
“Evidence-based Concepts for Contemporary Chiropractic Practice
This module will introduce the differing research approaches and methodologies underpinning the evidence supporting practice and practice development. You gain an overview of qualitative and quantitative research methods and facilitate the development of skills in interpretation of data and basic critical analysis of individual research studies. You explore how evaluation and integration of relevant scientific and clinical evidence enhances application of evidence-based practice to treatment and management rationales in chiropractic practice”
Given Mr Moore’s stated ‘goals’ and ambition to gain a PhD, the first questions he must be asked by the University’s Academic Board are:
“Why did you want to be a chiropractor and not a doctor, physiotherapist or osteopath?
Did you think of applying to medical school? Physiotherapy school? Osteopathy school?
If not, why not?
And if so, what was the outcome?
What is it you perceive to be the unique selling point of ‘chiropractic’ – if not ‘adjustment of subluxations’.
And if it is your intention to teach that modality, how do you account for the fact that no reputable body of medical opinion has identified such lesions, much less, any benefit from ‘adjusting’ them?
Might your intention be to inveigle yourself into an academic standing in order to promote anachronistic and outmoded methodologies from which most doctors and therapists have resiled?
But why is that your ‘goal’?”
As for the module identified by Stephen Hicks, all that should have been done over the last hundred years – and it hasn’t been – or we would all be chiropractors!
@Richard
Here is a link to a media release
https://www.tees.ac.uk/sections/news/pressreleases_story.cfm?story_id=7390&this_issue_title=February%202020&this_issue=321
A real word salad. Note in particular the on-site Chiropractic Dept.
What’s particularly concerning is that they intend to run a “student-led chiropractic clinic”. Other chiropractic clinics run through universities have serious issues. I’ve previously written about some of the problems with the AECC University Clinic: https://complementaryandalternative.wordpress.com/2020/02/18/aecc-university-college-newborn-feeding-clinic-continues-to-make-misleading-claims-about-treatment-of-babies-by-chiropractors/ When a clinic is associated with a University it lends a legitimacy in the eyes of the public which is often not justified.
The headline makes it look as if the course is FOR chiropractors who, in the region, are uneducated.
Ring the chiropractic bell and your respond in a very predictable way then cite as evidence
own blog, own blog, own blog, own blog, own blog…………….
Carpet bombing the profession yet again and looking on university based researchers and educators as acceptable collateral damage.
You are incapable of change and as much a part of the problem as Matthew McCoy.
The irony is that you both employ the same arguments.
would it not be better to argue the content of this post – or are you unable to do that?
Would it not be better to do your research on the course and it’s full faculty before blogging. – or are you unable to do that?
yes, I am – because the course has not started and the faculty is not known.
@ Critical_Chiro
Even if all that were known, the course would still be nonsense.
What are universities doing promoting quackery? I thought they were supposed to be institutions of higher learning, not institutions of hey-somebody-will-fall-for-that-so-let’s-charge-money-to-teach-it.
Such touching innocence!
@David B
🙂
I’ve had a closer look at the course content, available here: https://www.tees.ac.uk/undergraduate_courses/Nursing_Midwifery_&_Health_Professions/MSci_(Hons)_Chiropractic_(with_Foundation_Year).cfm It raises a number of concerns, which are also seen in many other chiropractic degrees, including:
1. Specific training on paediatrics (see “Chiropractic Case Management in Special Populations”). Paediatric chiropractic is riddled with pseudoscience.
2. A continued heavy focus on manipulation / manual therapy throughout the course in spite of its limited evidence base and therapeutic value
3. Treatment of neurological conditions (see “Clinical Neurology for Chiropractic Practice”). Whilst they don’t refer to specific conditions in the course description, neurological conditions can include things like stroke, epilepsy, dementia, parkinsons, etc. These aren’t things that should be treated by a chiropractor.
There is of course the mordant aphorism “Doctors bury their mistakes”. They don’t generally, however, except in the case of the late Harold Shipman, initiate the need for burial right there and then during the consultation. Chemist Miles Power in his YouTube channel recounts the horrific case of a Chiropractor who apparently did: https://youtu.be/FyZSWS6FdTA