Update on Osteopathy within British Columbia
(July 2004)
by Mr. Marc Jones DO (UK), BSc(Hons)Ost, Osteopath (UK)
I received an unpleasant e-mail from a physician in Victoria, BC in March of 2004 insisting that I remove this web-site. After trying (unsuccessfully) to pacify this person, I contacted the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC) to discuss the conduct of the physician and his attempted actions.
In April 2004, I was pleased to receive confirmation from the CPSBC that they had no issue with my practise of osteopathy as it breaches no law. This was further confirmed as I had made it clear that I was neither a physician nor surgeon or that I was offering these medical services.
Sadly in June of 2004, the physician in question (a US-trained 'osteopathic physician') had lobbied hard within the CPSBC and, in contradicting the international osteopathic community and the CPSBC itself, has managed to make them believe that osteopathy and medicine are the same thing. Every country in the world where osteopathy is practised is aware of the differences between osteopaths (practising just osteopathy) and osteopathic physicians (practising osteopathic medicine), but the CPSBC is apparently choosing to position itself against this, unlike any of the other Canadian provinces.
In July of 2004, I mailed a response to the CPSBC after consulting with the very few osteopaths in BC and also after speaking with osteopathic associations in Quebec, Ontario and the UK. Following these discussions and a brief telephone conversation with the government of British Columbia, I am currently involved in a fact-finding mission on Canadian and international osteopathic practises. Unfortunately, one BC osteopath is afraid to speak out as they too have been threatened and some others are reticent to talk openly for similar reasons. It is disturbing that this situation can exist in Canada.
The availability of osteopathic treatment within British Columbia is minimal and is being held back. What little osteopathy that exists in the province could soon disappear.
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Copyright © Marc Jones - Osteopath (UK), Osteopathy Vancouver 2003 onwards
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