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CBC Investigates
Advertising by some Manitoba chiropractors undermines public health, expert says
CBC News found many chiropractor websites containing statements at odds with public health advice
By Jacques Marcoux, Katie Pedersen, Katie Nicholson, CBC News Posted: Mar 20, 2017 4:00 AM CT Last Updated: Mar 20, 2017 9:57 AM CT
Statements circulated by dozens of Manitoba chiropractors are misleading and potentially harmful, says a public health expert.
"There is no evidence that chiropractic is effective in treating cancer and autism and any of those things that they are apparently claiming that they can treat," said Dr. Alan Katz, director of the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy.
A CBC News analysis of company websites and Facebook pages of every registered chiropractor in Manitoba found several dozen examples of statements, claims and social media content at odds with many public health policies or medical research.
Examples include:
Dr. Alan Katz is the director of the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy. (CBC News)
Based on the Manitoba Chiropractors Association membership listing, there are approximately 275 licensed practitioners working out of 215 offices. CBC News found questionable online content linked to more than 30 chiropractic offices.
Dr. Katz reviewed the examples gathered by the CBC I-Team and labelled most of them "misinformation."
"It misleads the public in two areas. Firstly, those who choose to go for chiropractic care, particularly for things like infection and autism and things that we know they're not going to be beneficial for, it misleads those individuals and gives them false hope for treatment that will not be effective," he said.
"Putting these things up on their website also puts the doubt in the minds of others about what we do know works, and as a result those people may not seek the right type of care for conditions that could deteriorate if they don't seek that care."
Advertising by some Manitoba chiropractors undermines public health, expert says
CBC Investigates
Advertising by some Manitoba chiropractors undermines public health, expert says
CBC News found many chiropractor websites containing statements at odds with public health advice
By Jacques Marcoux, Katie Pedersen, Katie Nicholson, CBC News Posted: Mar 20, 2017 4:00 AM CT Last Updated: Mar 20, 2017 9:57 AM CT
Statements circulated by dozens of Manitoba chiropractors are misleading and potentially harmful, says a public health expert.
"There is no evidence that chiropractic is effective in treating cancer and autism and any of those things that they are apparently claiming that they can treat," said Dr. Alan Katz, director of the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy.
A CBC News analysis of company websites and Facebook pages of every registered chiropractor in Manitoba found several dozen examples of statements, claims and social media content at odds with many public health policies or medical research.
Examples include:
- Offers of treatments for autism, Tourette's syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, colic, infections and cancer.
- Anti-vaccination literature and recently published letters to the editor from chiropractors that discourage vaccination.
- An article claiming vaccines have caused a 200 to 600 per cent increase in autism rates.
- A statement that claims the education and training of a chiropractor is "virtually identical" to that of a medical doctor.
- Discouraging people from getting diagnostic tests such as CT scans, colonoscopies and mammograms.
- An informational video discouraging the use of sunscreen.
Dr. Alan Katz is the director of the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy. (CBC News)
Based on the Manitoba Chiropractors Association membership listing, there are approximately 275 licensed practitioners working out of 215 offices. CBC News found questionable online content linked to more than 30 chiropractic offices.
Dr. Katz reviewed the examples gathered by the CBC I-Team and labelled most of them "misinformation."
"It misleads the public in two areas. Firstly, those who choose to go for chiropractic care, particularly for things like infection and autism and things that we know they're not going to be beneficial for, it misleads those individuals and gives them false hope for treatment that will not be effective," he said.
"Putting these things up on their website also puts the doubt in the minds of others about what we do know works, and as a result those people may not seek the right type of care for conditions that could deteriorate if they don't seek that care."
Advertising by some Manitoba chiropractors undermines public health, expert says
