• Huber LL
• Bisiacchi DW

• Association of Chiropractic Colleges / congresses

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to survey and identify the types of musculoskeletal injuries students experienced when learning adjusting techniques in the classroom and performing them in the clinical setting at Life University’s College of Chiropractic (LUCC).

METHODS: Surveys were developed to record musculoskeletal injuries students may have acquired while attempting to deliver manipulative therapy. The surveys identified characteristics such as gender, age, quarter of study, technique used, and injury recovery time. Students enrolled in second year or above and currently or previously enrolled in technique course(s) met minimum participatory requirements. Informed consent was obtained which familiarized students with the purpose, conditions and confidentiality of the study. Statistical data was generated by Office of Institutional Research.

RESULTS: There were 125 of 150 surveys completed (83.3 % response rate). There were 43 responses from women and 77 from men. Only 1% of the respondents were less than 21 years old, 11% were 22 to 24 years old, 38% were 25 to 28 years old, and 50% were older than 28. The majority of the respondents were senior level students. In this study, the low back was the most common injury site for females (19%), and the neck was most common for males (11%). There was an equal occurrence of wrist injury. A total of 13% of females reported shoulder injuries, whereas only 2% of males indicated similar injuries. Twenty-two respondents (14 male and 8 female) reported that injuries occurred in the learning lab environment, while 19 respondents (8 male and 10 female) reported experiencing injuries while performing manipulations in the clinical setting. Students indicated that practicing or performing side posture procedures was the most common mode producing injuries. Supine cervical moves were the second most common, and prone cervical moves ranked third overall. It was found that 60% of the injuries occurred within six months of the survey, and that 35% of injured students are still recovering.

DISCUSSION: Literature review revealed some studies addressing occupational injuries sustained by healthcare providers. However, little information existed that addressed those experienced by chiropractors, and even fewer studies addressed gender specific injuries. Data from the completed surveys identified the most common injuries experienced by students, and allowed for classification of the injuries by gender, age group and time frame of occurrence. In addition, it addressed the techniques that were utilized. A limitation of the study was that the survey was retrospective, requiring students to recall circumstances of injuries that occurred previously. A correlation between body type and injuries sustained will require an additional interview with the students. Identification of these specific anatomical areas provides an integral step towards reducing and/or preventing injuries.

This abstract is reproduced with the permission of the publisher.