Chiropractic in Papua New Guinea
By David J Steven B.Sc.(Syd.Uni).M.Chiro.(Macq.Uni.) Chiropractor

In late March 2006 Dr’s David Steven and John Evans travelled to remote PNG to introduce chiropractic to an underprivileged community. They were in an area called the Bismarch archipelago and specifically at Kavieng.

The two Dr’s spent two days treating patients at the Kavieng hospital in conjunction with a Japanese trained physiotherapist (Hiroshi) who had been at the hospital for 9 months on a voluntary basis. He had never been exposed to chiropractic previously although he had the view that it was “dangerous”.

Hiroshi allowed them to examine him as he reported some neck pain. He was then adjusted and was surprised at the gentle nature of the treatment and immediate improvement in his symptoms. As a result he asked the Dr’s to treat his local staff and several of his patients. The cross communication pollinated a genuine interest in chiropractic, this in turn precipitated a request for more information on their departure.

Spinal Checks on PNG Children
Dr’s Steven and Evans were fortunate enough to be invited into the local school on Nusalik Island. They examined and treated forty children and their teacher for any spinal or extra vertebral joint problems.

All children displayed very good muscular tone in contrast to Australian chiropractic patients of a similar age. They felt that this was a reflection of their level of physical activity. The overall spinal health of the group was excellent. Interestingly, all forty children and their teacher displayed cervical lymphadenopathy possibly due to the malarial infection endemic to the area. The community is very isolated and basically still relies on primitive fishing methods to survive and the school receives no government funding.

The children were curious about the chiropractic experience and enjoyed being adjusted. Prior to Dr’s Steven and Evans departing the children insisted on singing two thankyou songs to them. They left feeling privileged that they were able to use their skills to make a difference in these peoples lives. The Chiropractors were impressed and challenged by the fact that despite leading simple lives the PNG people were very happy.