Chiropractic and medicine blended at clinic
Heather Kent
CMAJ 1999;160:1280
© 1999 Heather Kent
Dr. David Quirke's career took an unexpected turn when he met Dr. Gordon Taylor at the gym where the football player and world-class wrestler worked out. Taylor was a chiropractor in his final year at medical school when Quirke invited him to observe at his North Vancouver family practice. Soon Taylor was bringing new treatment options to Quirke's patients who had musculoskeletal problems. Quirke, who has a background in emergency medicine, recalls: "I was very interested in sticking needles into joints; that was my training. [Taylor] was able to do a lot more for these patients."
The doctors shared a dramatic success with an elderly man who had been immobilized for years and unable to walk. The man travelled by water taxi from his island home and was carried into Quirke's office. Following cortisone injections and selective manipulations, the patient walked from the office as the astonished doctor and student watched.
After several months of collaborating with Taylor, who is 1 of about 5 Canadian-trained chiropractor/physicians, Quirke decided to join him at the Pacific Coast Rehabilitation Centre. He underwent 200 hours of training there, while still running his family practice and working in emergency medicine. At the beginning, Quirke was "totally lost." He started from the basics, and gradually acquired the specialized manual-therapy skills to supplement medical interventions.
Three years ago, Quirke left his emergency room work and began dividing his time between the rehabilitation centre and his family practice. Besides Taylor, the centre's professional staff include Jane Burns, a physiotherapist and owner of the clinic, and Chista Shahrokh, a recently graduated chiropractor.
Quirke says the collaboration works. "We have easy access to each other and progress is monitored closely," he says. The group sees many "problem" patients who have already experienced several medical, chiropractic or physiotherapy interventions. "I essentially do manipulations and injections," says Quirke. Taylor, who calls the group "a terrific interdisciplinary concept," says many patients "present with a blend of injuries. They should receive a blend of treatments."
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