Background Manual therapy is a cornerstone of chiropractic education, whereby students work towards a level of skill and expertise that is regarded as competent to work within the field of chiropractic. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, chiropractic programs in every region around the world had to make rapid changes to the delivery of manual therapy technique education, however what those changes looked like was unknown. Aims The aims of this study were to describe the immediate actions made by chiropractic programs to deliver education for manual therapy techniques and to summarise the experience of academics who teach manual therapy techniques during the initial outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A qualitative descriptive approach was used to describe the immediate actions made by chiropractic programs to deliver manual therapy technique education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chiropractic programs were identified from the webpages of the Councils on Chiropractic Education International and the Council on Chiropractic Education – USA. Between May and June 2020, a convenience sample of academics who lead or teach in manual therapy technique in those programs were invited via email to participate in an online survey with open-ended questions. Responses were entered into the NVivo software program and analysed using a reflexive thematic analysis by a qualitative researcher independent to the data collection. Results Data from 16 academics in 13 separate chiropractic programs revealed five, interconnected themes: Immediate response; Move to online delivery; Impact on learning and teaching; Additional challenges faced by educators; and Ongoing challenges post lockdown. Conclusion This study used a qualitative descriptive approach to describe how some chiropractic programs immediately responded to the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in their teaching of manual therapy techniques. Chiropractic programs around the world provided their students with rapid, innovative learning strategies, in an attempt to maintain high standards of chiropractic education; however, challenges included maintaining student engagement in an online teaching environment, psychomotor skills acquisition and staff workload.

Objective: Professional demands have led to health-care educator specialization in research or patient care. The academy movement is an avenue that attempts to return prestige and importance to improved instruction. The authors performed a needs analysis of selected faculty at 3 chiropractic colleges to assess the need for, and willingness to participate in, an academy of educators program. Methods: An expert-developed, pretested survey was deployed using SurveyMonkey. Analysis of variance and regression analysis were used to address 3 research questions related to the academy of educators program. Results: The study achieved a 53% response rate and reflected that an overwhelming majority of chiropractic faulty members (89%) reported the need for an academy of educators. The study found no significant differences between faculty ranks, years of experience, and participation willingness. Conclusion: A structured approach, such as an academy, to foster professional teaching development may create positive outcomes for an institution. Faculty educators were willing to engage in an efficient program that may improve teaching methods and create opportunities for collaborative working relationships, which signals the potential for wide acceptance of the program.

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Objective: The purpose of this study is to describe the chiropractic management of a student athlete with postconcussion syndrome. Clinical Features: A 14-year-old male hockey player presented to a chiropractic clinic with postconcussion symptoms 13 days after his initial injury. He experienced an occipital headache with a pain rating of 8/10, upset stomach, blurry vision, nausea, dizziness, balance problems, a "foggy feeling," difficulty with concentration, difficulty with memory, fatigue, confusion, drowsiness, and irritability. Prior to seeing the doctor of chiropractic, the patient was monitored by a medical doctor, and the care he had been receiving was in accordance with current concussion guidelines. At the time of presentation to the chiropractic clinic, he had failed to progress toward return to play, and his computerized neurocognitive testing scores had not improved. Intervention and Outcome: Chiropractic manipulative therapy, myofascial release, instrument-assisted soft tissue technique, and therapeutic exercises were provided over 5 treatments spanning a 20-day period. The patient followed up each treatment with ImPACT testing. At the conclusion of the treatments, the patient's computerized neurocognitive testing scores had improved, and the patient was returned to play. Conclusion: This case demonstrates the improvement of postconcussion syndrome in a 14-year-old male hockey player under chiropractic management. (J Chiropr Med 2016;15:208-213)