What alternative health

practitioners might not tell you

 

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“This an important achievement for the school and equally important for the chiropractic profession because the principal goal of the profession is to assure the quality of chiropractic undergraduate education and training against a set of educational standards. The Barcelona College of Chiropractic [BCC] is a public university affiliated college of chiropractic and registered with the Catalan Government's Justice Department via a non-profit foundation.” Øystein Ogre, European Chiropractors’ Union President (18th November 2010)

UPDATE - 1st June 2011: It is important to note that the Barcelona College of Chiropractic is not recognised as a University by the Spanish Ministry. The complete list of recognised Universities can be checked here or via the Spanish Ministry directly.   The BCC course, and title awarded -"Título Superior en Quiropráctica del Barcelona College of Chiropractic – Escuela Superior Internacional"- is not recognised as an official title by the Spanish Ministry. This can be checked here (note that the BCC or "quiropráctica" are not even mentioned there).  Although the BCC has signed collaborative agreements with Universidad Pompeu Fabra (UPF) and Universidad de Girona¨(UG), neither UPF nor UG assume, recognise, or endorse the title. This can be checked on their respective sites here and here.  The agreements seem to be aimed only at allowing the BCC to use some facilities of the Universities (see here).  Although all foundations must be "government registered" under Spanish Law, this does not mean any sort of official endorsement of their activities.  In fact, the BCC carefully avoids to present itself explicitly as a "university". The claim is made by third parties, such as the Spanish Chiropractic Association, that the BCC presents as "Institutional Support". The association claims that: "Pese a que aún queda mucho camino por recorrer, estudiar quiropráctica en España ya es posible desde 2007 gracias a la creación de dos titulaciones universitarias de grado superior: la primera, en el Real Centro Universitario Escorial-María Cristina (San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Madrid), y el Barcelona College of Chiropractic, que echó a andar el pasado año. En ambos centros universitarios, se necesitan cinco años de estudios, además de un último curso de prácticas para poder ejercer la profesión". [TRANSLATION: "Although there is still a long way to go, to study chiropractic in Spain is now possible since 2007 with the creation of two **university degrees** in higher education: the first in the Real Centro Universitario Escorial-Maria Cristina (San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Madrid), and the Barcelona College of Chiropractic, which took off last year. In both **universities**, it takes five years of study, and a final year to practice the profession.]

NOTE: Adrian Wenban, B.Sc.(Anatomy), B.App.Sc.(Chiropractic), M.Med.Sc.(Clinical Epidemiology), MACC, Principal, Barcelona College of Chiropractic, claimed in private correspondence on 1st June 2011 that the BCC "is a private college with strong public university affiliations. In addition the BCC is the property of a non-profit government registered foundation, called the Fundacio Privada Quiropractica (FPQ). The FPQ is registered with, and recognised by, the Catalan regional government's Justice department. The BCC is not, and never has been 'under investigation' for inappropriately using the title 'University'."

UPDATE summary - 27th June 2011: The Spanish government does not recognise chiropractic as a health profession or as an official degree. The government accepts some foreign titles, but not to practice as a chiropractor, only as a physiotherapist. Although some chiropractors claim that there are two chiropractic college degrees in Spain, none of them is official. The Barcelona College of Chiropractic (BCC) is a private institution, not recognised as a university by either the Catalan regional government or by the Spanish government, and its title has no official status. The Real Centro Universitario Escorial-Maria Cristina (RCU) has been licensed only to give a Degree in Law, backed by the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, but its other degrees are not official. Currently, the RCU is being investigated by the Madrid regional government for offering its degree in chiropractic as a "University Degree". In fact its website now makes it clear that the degree is of private character and unofficial. With regard to the AEQ, it is a private association that does not have any official status.

UPDATE - 4th August 2011: Chiropractors to be recognised and regulated under the Spanish Health System.  The Minister for for Health, Leire Pajin, announced in the Senate that in September the final list of natural therapies recognised and regulated by the National Health System will be released. Among theme is chiropractic… “The AEQ (Asociacion España de Quiropractica) has been working hard over the past 20 years to promote the highest standards of chiropractic care and to protect the name of chiropractic. The recognition of chiropractors in Spain is a big move towards full legislation, exactly as in the UK, where it is illegal to use the title ‘Chiropractor’ without having a full Master’s degree…Chiropractic, born in the United States in 1895, is recognised in the legislation of all European countries except Greece, Luxembourg and Spain, and in Spain there are currently circa 200 professional practitioners.”