2005 World Federation of Chiropractic in Sydney
By Kenneth Lorme BSc, DC, GradDipErgonomics, MHSc (OH&S)

The 8^th Biennial World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) was held in Sydney from June 16-18^th. The title of the conference was “Above the Low Back” and was hosted by the CAA National, and held in association with the NZCA, ASRF, FICS and the FCER.

Over 800 registrants from more than thirty countries attended the conference with the vast majority being chiropractors. It is believed to be the largest gathering in the Southern Hemisphere of chiropractors, and was also the largest ever WFC congress in its history. As well, there was a very large trade show with products and services on display from around the world.

Plenary Sessions ran every morning and were presented by world-class speakers from around the globe. The speakers came from a range of disciplines, including Chiropractic, Medicine, Physiotherapy and Research. Concurrent sessions were also run for Chiropractic Assistants.

The conference served up a mix of science, technique, history and philosophy. There was something for every chiropractor. Dozens of original research papers of excellent quality ran concurrently with the speaker sessions. These were supported by a large number of high calibre poster presentations. The original research papers and posters covered the categories of Diagnostic Science, Clinical Management, Basic Science and Special Interest. Australian colleges were well represented. Macquarie University lead the way with twenty poster projects displayed and three platform appearances. COCA members and some of the executive made a valuable and significant impact with many paper and poster contributions.

Grand rounds were moderated by Dr Scott Haldeman with the focus being on neck pain and headaches. There were nine general workshops, which included topics such as Imagining, Guidelines and Biomechanics. There was a dedicated stream to sports chiropractic. The philosophy lectures presented perspectives from around the globe and the final day culminated with the traditional Philosophical debate. This day also included four full day technique workshops.

Overall, I was most impressed by the continuing development in the quality of chiropractic research over recent years. We are a maturing profession and are reaping the benefits.

The next WFC Biennial Congress will be held in Portugal in May 2007.