Supporting Clinical Chiropractic Research
On behalf of our members, we support multiple clinical chiropractic and related research studies to elevate patient care and advance understanding of the chiropractic profession.
We invest directly and indirectly in important chiropractic clinical research studies. In addition, we provide support through subscriptions, promotion and collaboration with leading chiropractic research entities:
- The OCA Board of Directors Research Committee
- Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation (CCRF)
- Knowledge Translation Organizations
- RRS Education
- Canadian Chiropractic Guideline Initiative (CCGI)
- Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) Research
- Relevant third-party initiatives
In the Human Performance Lab at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC), Dr. Samuel (Sam) Howarth works with a patient.
OCA Board of Directors Research Committee
Our OCA Board Research Committee reviews and funds chiropractic-related studies involving researchers that advance understanding clinical practice and patient care. The committee accepts and reviews submissions, then awards research funding to select studies that will evolve patient care and advance understanding of the chiropractic profession.
OCA Support:
We review and provide direct funding to support chiropractic clinical studies that the committee selects.
Current Clinical Chiropractic Research Projects:
Executive Director: Robert Harris, CCRF
Chair: Dr. Nadine Ellul, DC, MHS
“Creating new knowledge is critical to improving patient care. The OCA is proud to support the CCRF as it works to discover the best, evidence–based care for patients living with spinal dysfunction and disease.” – Caroline Brereton, CEO, Ontario Chiropractic Association
CCRF invests in high-quality research that leads to solutions for people suffering from neuromusculoskeletal (nMSK) related pain and dysfunction affecting the spine, muscles, joints and related nervous system. For more than 40 years, CCRF has been dedicated to advancing patient care, integrated health care models and the chiropractic profession.
CCRF achieves its mandate through its National Research Grant program and new Partnership Committee. Twice a year, CCRF issues Requests for Proposals for grants to Canadian-based nMSK research teams. Since 2019, it has invested more than $700,000 in Canadian-based research projects on a diverse range of subjects.
OCA Support:
On behalf of members, we invest in funding CCRF to support its Canadian-based research projects, which have a local, national and global impact.
“CCRF greatly values the collaborative relationship that’s been forged with OCA and actively participates with OCA’s own Research Committee by bringing ideas and networking opportunities to the table.” – Robert Harris, MBA, Executive Director, CCRF
Our members’ investment supports evidence-based research projects that are expected to advance the profession’s knowledge base and contribute to improved care for patients living with muscular, skeletal and nervous system pain. Click/Tap the button below to learn about these projects.
Knowledge Translation Organizations:
Integrating Evidence into Clinical Practice
These organizations include: RRS Education (Research Review Service Inc.) and The Canadian Chiropractic Guideline Initiative (CCGI). Each organization provides unique resources to help chiropractors integrate or apply scientific evidence from research studies into their clinical practice.
OCA Support:
Through subscriptions and promotion, we support RRS Education and CCGI’s important work.
Founder and CEO: Dr. Shawn Thistle, B. Kin. (Hons.), D.C., Medical Acupuncture, ART®, C.S.C.S
This online, subscription-based service strives to facilitate knowledge transfer from bench-to-bedside. Through research reviews, informative seminars and e-learning courses, RRS Education helps clinicians integrate current scientific evidence from chiropractic, physiotherapy and exercise sciences research into evidence-informed clinical practice and patient care.
The RRS database contains more than 900 reviews and serves clinicians around the world. An annual subscription to RRS can be submitted as 20 unstructured credit hours for continuing-education (CE) requirements.
Dr. Sean Thistle, Founder and CEO, RRS Education, OCA 2019 Chiropractor of the Year tribute video.
Project Lead: Carol Cancelliere DC, MPH, PhD, University of Ontario Institute of Technology (Ontario Tech University)
CCGI’s mandate is to develop evidence-based clinical practice Guidelines and best practice recommendations. Then, it facilitates their dissemination and implementation within the chiropractic profession.
Strategic Goals:
- Transforming the culture of the chiropractic profession to one that is guided by evidence-informed practice
- Producing, adapting or adopting recommendations relevant to chiropractic practice to enhance patient care, based on the best available evidence
- Creating and applying innovative knowledge translation strategies to influence chiropractic practice
- Engaging stakeholders to assist in disseminating best practice to their members
To learn about CCGI’s current research initiatives click/tap the button below.
CCGI creates varied content for chiropractors, with the goal of advancing excellence in chiropractic care. Its content is available in various digital categories, such as:
Relevant Health Care Organizations and Initiatives
We collaborate with medical, academic and other partners to support relevant research organizations or initiatives that advance the understanding of care for Ontarians. Our members’ expertise complements these initiatives and often aligns directly with the needs of patients.
OCA Support:
Through promotion, member engagement and collaboration, we support select third-party research organizations and initiatives.
Select health care organizations and initiatives we support include:
Global Alliance for Musculoskeletal Health (G-MUSC)
The G-MUSC is a network of national and international patient, professional, scientific organizations around the world. It’s focused on health policy and evidence.
We’re proud to promote initiatives OCA members and other researchers are doing to help advance the G-MUSC’s mandate to develop strategies and set the agenda, aimed at improving the quality of life for individuals around the world. It pursues this mandate by implementing effective prevention and treatment through its unified voice and global reach.
Paving the Way for a Musculoskeletal Health Strategy
A global team of researchers, including OCA members Dr. Deborah Kopansky-Giles and Dr. James Young, have released a blueprint for countries across the world to prevent and manage the rising burden of spine, muscle and joint, or musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions.
To inform and guide strategy development for the prevention and management of MSK conditions at the global- and national-level health systems, the G-MUSC has identified eight strategic priority areas. The findings were presented in a new Towards a global strategy to improve musculoskeletal health report.
“This work reflects over 20 years of effort to place MSK at the top of the most pressing global health issues,” says Dr. Kopansky-Giles, professor at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC); and OCA Evidence-Based Framework Advisory Council member; and co-investigator and co-author of the report. “We’re excited to begin working closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) to identify a framework for building a policy to support MSK health internationally.”
World Spine Care (WSC)
World Spine Care (WSC) is a multinational not-for-profit, charitable organization. It has three health-care focused charitable entities registered in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Scott Haldeman MD, PhD, DC, a leading figure in the assessment and treatment of spinal conditions, founded WSC to fill the profound gap in the evidence-based treatment of musculoskeletal (MSK) and especially spinal conditions found in underserviced areas around the world.
We’re proud to promote the work OCA members and other chiropractors are doing to help advance WSC’s mission to improve lives in underserved communities through sustainable, integrated, and evidence-based spine care.
Study on Low Back Pain in Primary Care: “Back ON”
We partnered with a team of investigators from Queen’s University to help recruit chiropractors to participate in this Back ON study, which is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
This cohort study (i.e. with no interventions) is investigating the natural course and treatment of patients with low back pain in primary care in Ontario.
Together with family doctors and physiotherapists, chiropractors are part of the 175 primary care practices involved in the study. During the study period, the Back ON team will follow the practitioners’ regular practice patterns. Patient characteristics and their use of our health system will also be determined.
Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada: “Activate”
We partnered with Heart & Stroke to support Activate – a community-based wellness program designed to prevent the onset of high blood pressure, by moving individuals to a healthier lifestyle.
As Heart & Stroke was seeking health care professionals to help screen and enroll patients in this beneficial program, we promoted this opportunity to our members. Since many chiropractors regularly take and monitor their patients’ blood pressure as part of their care plan, the program was a natural fit and many of our members participated.
Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC)
CMCC has one of the most innovative clinical chiropractic research programs in North America.
Focused on five major areas of research, senior research scientists and clinical faculty members seek to answer vital questions about the changes that chiropractic adjustments make on a micro and macro level, including:
- How to increase its efficacy and how best to apply it
- How to integrate it within the health and performance spectrum
OCA Support:
We showcase and promote CMCC’s independent clinical research to advance understanding of the chiropractic profession.
Dr. Sam Howarth with a patient in the Human Performance Lab at CMCC. (Photo: CMCC)
CMCC’s major areas of research include:
Biological Basis of Musculoskeletal Injury and Manual Therapies
To conduct clinically oriented and mechanistic studies assessing the development of musculoskeletal injuries and the biological basis of manual therapies. Primary areas of study include cellular and molecular biology, immunology, biomechanics, ergonomics, mechanobiology, morphology, neurophysiology and ultrasonography.
Clinical and Health Sciences Research
To improve patient-centered care for musculoskeletal conditions through studies focusing on clinical assessment and interventions. Primary areas of study include clinical guideline development, systematic reviews, studies of assessment and diagnosis, clinical and cost-effectiveness trials, prognosis, disability, rehabilitation and health services. Multimodal non-surgical intervention for individuals with knee osteoarthritis — a retrospective case series protocol.
Education in Health Care
To enhance the development of curriculum, explore novel methods for content delivery and assessment, improve collaborative learning and the utilization of innovative technologies, techniques and learning strategies within the context of healthcare education. Primary areas of study include simulation education, interprofessional education, competency-based education, elearning, blended learning, clinical education, active learning strategies, professional development and problem-based learning. A pilot study entails evaluating the baseline abilities of second-year chiropractic students to identify cardiac and lung sounds at the CMCC using high fidelity manikin simulators.
Health and Wellness
To produce evidence that further promotes healthy living of patients and the public. Primary areas of study include physical activity, mental health, dietetics and nutrition. The influence an Exercise is Medicine workshop has on recording exercise minutes per week as a vital sign in CMCC clinics.
Knowledge Translation and Health Policy
To improve the uptake, delivery and continuity of health care, based on research evidence, patient-oriented outcomes and informed decision making. Primary areas of study include knowledge translation, health policy, health economics, health services organization and management, as well as implementation science. A pre-implementation qualitative case study includes the development of an evidence-informed self-management toolkit for low back pain, adapted for the Tobique First Nation, Canada.
The Ontario Tech – CMCC Centre for Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (CDPR)
This internationally recognized centre is dedicated to understanding and improving return to work rates to improve lives and reduce costs to Canadian businesses. It’s focused on collaborative, transdisciplinary work with key stakeholders and knowledge users, which crosses research areas.
With offices at Ontario Tech in Oshawa and CMCC in Toronto, CDPR can leverage the academic excellence resident at both institutions. Its core research team includes five chiropractors, two international post-doctoral fellows, two PhD students, six Master’s students, three chiropractic residents and 25 national and international collaborators from 23 universities.
Dr. Pierre Côté, Canada Research Chair in Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation and Associate Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ontario Tech, leads the CDPR.
