Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, December 20, 1994                   TAG: 9412210050
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RAY REED
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

CHIROPRACTORS HAVE LEGITIMATE CLAIM TO `PHYSICIAN' NAME

T.A., Roanoke

A: Yes, they can. In Virginia, chiropractors are licensed by the state Board of Medicine.

"It's pretty common that chiropractors refer to themselves as chiropractic physicians," said Dr. David Brown, a Charlottesville chiropractor who's a member of the Board of Medicine.

He said everything's OK "as long as we use the word 'chiropractor' in front of `physician' to make it clear what profession we're talking about."

Brown said there are osteopathic physicians and podiatric physicians, who also are licensed by the Board of Medicine.

John S. Moore, a Radford University associate professor and author of a history titled "Chiropractic in America," said "chiropractic physician" may be used to associate the profession with mainstream medicine.

Moore said there have been two streams of chiropractic: One is oriented to spiritual New Age concepts of a mind-body connection, with almost a cultist atmosphere.

Doctors calling themselves chiropractic physicians are avoiding the New Age orientation.

"That's a pretty good indication that they are less likely to make grandiose claims about being able to cure everything. They're more strictly focused on [musculoskeletal problems of] the spine and back," Moore said.

Brown didn't quite agree with Moore's references to separation from New Age concepts.

Brown said chiropractic physicians use the term so people will understand "our training program is four years long. It's a graduate-level program."

Most chiropractors have a bachelor's degree in addition to the four years in chiropractic college, Brown said.

Virginia is one of three states that don't have a separate board for licensing chiropractors. The Board of Medicine is composed of 11 medical physicians, a chiropractor, a podiatrist, an osteopath, a clinical psychologist and two private citizens.

There's just one chiropractic regulation at the federal level. The Department of Education recognizes the chiropractic colleges' own agency, the Council of Chiropractic Education, as their official accrediting body.

Virginia licenses graduates of accredited colleges only.|

Ice makes cloud

Q: What do they burn in an incinerator behind the Roanoke Civic Center early in the morning?

R.H., Roanoke

A: The civic center doesn't have an incinerator, said Manager Bob Chapman.

The white cloud seen by motorists using Interstate 581 is vapor from the cooling tower when refrigeration compressors are freezing the ice for hockey.

Civic center trash goes to the landfill, Chapman said.

Got a question about something that might affect other people too? Something you've come across and wondered about? Give us a call at 981-3118. Maybe we can find the answer.