Qualifications of and Complaints against Chiropractors Practising in Singapore

Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar
MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC

Question No. 3241

To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the current number of chiropractors and chiropractic chains locally; (b) how many complaints against chiropractors or chiropractic chains have been received over the last five years; and (c) how is the training and qualification of chiropractors different from that of physiotherapists or Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners.

Written Answer

1. The Chiropractic Association (Singapore) estimates that there are about 150 chiropractors in Singapore. Based on the number of business entities^[1] registered with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA), the number of chiropractic establishments is estimated to be about 90. 

2. Over the past five years, MOH received an average of four chiropractic-related feedbacks per year, usually related to the misleading use of titles, advertising or claims, and sales and refunds on treatment packages. Chiropractic services are considered as complementary and alternative treatments, and are not licensed under the Private Hospital and Medical Clinic Act (PHMCA). Chiropractors are encouraged to practise self-regulation through their professional associations.  

3. Most chiropractors in Singapore have four or more years of overseas university or postgraduate studies. For TCM practitioners, applicants with a five-year local Advanced Diploma in TCM or an overseas TCM Bachelor’s degree recognised by the TCMP Board can qualify for the Singapore TCMP Registration Examination.  For physiotherapists, the Singapore Institute of Technology offers a 4-year Physiotherapy Bachelor’s degree programme, jointly developed with Trinity College Dublin. The Allied Health Professions Council also maintains a list of recognized overseas qualifications for physiotherapists to practice locally.
   

^[1] Business entities containing the words “chiropractic” and “chiropractor”.