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Review opens into chiropractic child spinal manipulation
The Victorian Government is calling on parents, chiropractors and health practitioners to have their say.
Many have said there is no evidence for the ‘reckless practice’ of manipulating an infant’s spine.
The review into the safety of spinal manipulation on children under 12 comes in the wake of public outcry following a video showing a Melbourne chiropractor dangling an infant by his legs in order to manipulate his spine, hips and collarbone.
Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos announced the community consultation for the review, which is being run by Safer Care Victoria.
‘Now is the time for parents who have experienced the dangerous practice of child spinal manipulation to have a say and share their story,’ Minister Mikakos said.
Minister Mikakos described the video, which came to light in February this year, as ‘deeply disturbing’ and the chiropractor, Andrew Arnold, was referred to the Chiropractic Board of Australia (CBA) and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
According to Minister Mikakos, the findings of the review will guide the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Health Council on what needs to be done to ensure Australian babies and children are not being exposed to harm.
‘The risks of spinal manipulations on newborn babies outweigh any benefits, but more needs to be known about children under 12. We need a national approach and that may involve changes to the law if necessary,’ she said.
The review’s survey asks parents:
- why they have accessed chiropractic spinal care for their child
- whether they were satisfied with the information provided on the benefits and risks
- whether there were adverse effects.
The survey is available on the Engage Victoria website.
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