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Dr. Jen features in The Australian Chiropractor

Our very own Dr. Jen features in The Australian Chiropractor November 2024 issue with the global impact chiropractic care can have on the health and wellbeing of those in impoverished regions.

To be of service, no matter the situation or location.

Imagine a world where every child can be checked regularly and adjusted when necessary at school? What kind of world would that lead to? In August this year, nine Australian Chiropractic College final year students had the opportunity to undertake a part of their chiropractic placement in Cambodia with Restore One Charity and To Love & Serve. The mission of Restore One Charity is to restore one child, one family, one village at a time, a very similar mission to that of B.J. Palmer’s ‘The Big Idea’.

Why Cambodia do you ask? Cambodia was once one of the most promising economies in South-East Asia, it was torn apart by the genocidal Khmer Rouge terror that occurred mostly in the 1970s. During this period, Cambodia’s social and economic foundation was all but destroyed. Entire cities were evacuated, with buildings left in ruins. Most of the population was forced to work as slave labour in rice paddies. Up to 2 million people (a quarter of the country’s population) died because of starvation, disease, torture and executions. Most Cambodians today live in impoverished rural areas, where human trafficking is rife. Such important history leads to chiropractic students having a two-week experience here, to be of service, no matter the situation or location.

As well as mobile chiropractic clinics in rural villages, students were responsible for checking and adjusting children of the Restore One Charity High School and a local primary school. The Cambodian high school students have been receiving chiropractic care since 2013, can we imagine such opportunity here in Australia? Students saw a vast range of presentations and conditions which greatly developed their clinical skills and their certainty in making the case for chiropractic care. ACC students also gifted a family with their own outside toilet, having painted this toilet with a mixture of Australian and Cambodian landscapes including the jacaranda tree found plentiful in Adelaide. They led English and Year 11 swimming classes and constructed bamboo sheeting for a classroom.

Such experiences for students who are about to embark on their chiropractic careers provides them with certainty of the impact of chiropractic care. These students, soon-to-be-colleagues will lead their communities with service and purpose, thus influencing humanity one adjustment at a time.

Natalie Short, 5th Year Australian Chiropractic College Student

My trip to Cambodia has been my favourite chiropractic and life experience to date. It not only allowed me to immerse myself in a different culture and gain a deeper understanding of the world but also gave me the opportunity to reflect on myself, chiropractic, and the role I can play as a chiropractor in the world.

My favourite part of the trip was adjusting in the village. It was amazing to experience the power of connection and communication without necessarily being able to speak the same language. The language barrier pushed me to rely on the innate ability of chiropractic to speak for itself. A moment that stands out was when I had a young girl on my table receiving her first adjustment. After we finished, she smiled, said thank you, and left, only to return five minutes later with her entire family—her mother, grandmother, siblings, aunts, and cousins, all eager to receive the same care she had just experienced. This girl didn’t need a lengthy explanation or a deep education on what chiropractic is. She simply felt the positive impact and knew that my intentions were pure—to check her nervous system, to help her body and brain work together. Whatever took place during her adjustment resonated with her, and she wanted to share that with the people she loves the most. For me, this experience is something I will always treasure. It made me realise the gift we have as chiropractors—the ability to facilitate profound connection, whether that is through aligning the body and brain or building meaningful relationships in our communities and practices.

This experience was a powerful reminder of how simple chiropractic can be, yet how impactful it is, which is exactly why I love what we do. I feel incredibly fortunate that, as students, we are given opportunities like this from the very beginning. These moments ignite a passion and purpose inside us, allowing us to enter the profession ready to make a difference—and, hopefully, to leave it better than we found it.