A descriptive study of sports chiropractors with an International Chiropractic Sport Science Practitioner qualification: a cross-sectional survey

Background This paper describes the education and case management profile of sports chiropractors with the Federation of International Sports Chiropractors (FICS) postgraduate qualification: International Chiropractic Sport Science Practitioner (ICSSP). The ICSSP is the predominant international sports chiropractic qualification. Methods A cross-sectional survey, carried out between 22/10/2014 and 22/12/2014,was utilized with a 39-item web-based survey examining practitioner, practice and clinical management characteristics, and was distributed via email to all sports chiropractors who held an ICSSP qualification (n = 240) in 2014. Results The survey response rate was 64% (n = 154). 36% of chiropractors were aged between 31 and 40 years, just over three quarters were male, and 27% had been in practice for 5–10 years. The majority of respondents were based in North America. All sports chiropractors surveyed reported treating neuromusculoskeletal conditions outside of the spine. 91% utilized a multimodal approach in most of their treatments, prescribing rehabilitative exercises in 76% of consultations. Almost 64% of respondents reported current treatment of professional athletes, and 78% reported current treatment of semi-professional athletes, whilst the vast majority of those surveyed endorsed past treatment of professional (91%) and semi-professional (95%) athletes. All respondents reported referring to a range of conventional and allied health providers. Conclusions This study of ICSSP-qualified sports chiropractors describes a small but well-educated workforce treating high-level athletes, managing a wide range of spine and non-spinal neuromusculoskeletal conditions, utilising multimodal approaches (including active and passive strategies), and referring to and co-managing with other health practitioners. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12998-021-00405-1.

Dr's Nelson, Ames, Jarosz, Pollard and Garbutt are Chiropractors that will all equally contribute to the writing of the completed study. Dr Cliff Da Costa is a statistician who will assist with the statistical analysis of the data in this study.

Why have you been approached?
You have been approached with this invitation as you currently hold an ICCSP/ICSSD qualification through FICS. No contact details have been passed onto the investigators, invitations have only been sent through FICS themselves.
What is the project about? What are the questions being addressed?
This project aims to look at how those that hold an ICCSP qualification practice. Only those that hold an ICCSP qualification can complete this survey. Currently there are approximately 240 Chiropractors with this qualification, the investigators are hoping that the majority of these complete the survey.
The primary research questions that will be examined in this study are: • The general demographics of this group • Are those that hold an ICCSP multi-modal in their treatment approach?
• Do they treat non spinal musculoskeletal conditions?
• Do they refer to other health practitioners?
• Do they co-manage patients with other health practitioners?
• Do they use evidence informed treatments?
• Do they regularly read research?
• Do they treat athletes involved in professional/semi professional sport?
• Do they treat athletes involved in Olympic teams?
• Do they regularly prescribe rehabilitation exercise?
• Do they prescribe ergonomic advice?
• Do they prescribe nutritional advice?
If I agree to participate, what will I be required to do?
If you agree to participate you simply need to complete the following questionnaire which will take approximately 5-7mins to complete.
What are the possible risks or disadvantages?
There are no perceived risks in participating in this study.
What are the benefits associated with participation?
Whilst there is no direct benefit to you as a result of your participation, the data revealed in this study may help FICS' involvement in future sporting events, and also allow them to plan relevant continuing education.
What will happen to the information I provide?
The information that you provide will be anonymous, meaning the data that you provide cannot be identified at any stage of this research project The results will be published in a yet to be determined journal, and also be available to all participants in a future FICS newsletter.
The research data will be kept securely at RMIT for 5 years after publication, before being destroyed. Whereas the final research paper will remain online.
Because of the nature of data collection, we are not obtaining written informed consent from you. Instead, we assume that you have given consent by your completion and return of the materials.
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Security of the data
This project will use an external site to create, collect and analyse data collected in a survey format. The site we are using is https://www.soscisurvey.de. If you agree to participate in this survey, the responses you provide to the survey will be stored on a host server that is used by https://www.soscisurvey.de. No personal information will be collected in the survey so none will be stored as data. Once we have completed our data collection and analysis, we will import the data we collect to the RMIT server where it will be stored securely for five (5) years. The data on the https://www.soscisurvey.de host server will then be deleted and expunged.
What are my rights as a participant?
• The right to withdraw from participation at any time • The right to request that any recording cease • The right to have any unprocessed data withdrawn and destroyed, provided it can be reliably identified, and provided that so doing does not increase the risk for the participant.  Thank you for completing this questionnaire!

Have you previously treated athletes involved in semi-professional level
We would like to thank you very much for helping us.
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