Chiropractic care as a recognized healthcare practice is still in its infancy in many parts of the world. In a 2019 article published by Chiropractic and Manual Therapies, there were only roughly 103,000 licensed chiropractors worldwide, and though there isn’t currently an updated figure available, it is doubtful that the number has climbed much in recent years. As a profession, Chiropractic is more prevalent and understood in the western world, particularly the United States and Northern Europe. Yet efforts are being made to broadly expand the reach of Chiropractic and the immense healing it can facilitate, and that can be seen bearing fruit in an unexpected place: China.

Life University (Life U) has been instrumental in this early consideration of chiropractic care as a healthcare option available in China. The country has often been included in ongoing Global Initiatives funded by the University, such as the creation of an historic chiropractic performance center in Beijing in 2018. Perhaps the most publicly visible aspect of that support has been demonstrated in athletics.

Dr Peng “Fresh” Li is a Life U alumnus and now serves as Executive Director for Life Global Initiatives China-Asia and President of the Chiropractic Association of China (CAC). He has been involved with the Chinese Olympic Committee for over six years, representing chiropractors of Life U in a collaborative agreement to provide chiropractic care to the Chinese Olympic Committee. He recently worked with athletes in the Paris 2024 Olympics to help support and improve performance. It is quite an achievement, especially as chiropractic awareness in China is in its infancy, with less than 50 practicing chiropractors operating in the country by Dr. Li’s estimation. How do chiropractors educate and serve in these vastly underserved populations? Dr. Li goes into more detail about his journey working alongside athletes and traditional medicine practitioners in the podcast episode here: “Spreading Chiropractic Care in China Through Strategic Partnerships and Social Media Education- Featuring Dr. Peng “Fresh” Li”.

In November 2024, Life U co-sponsored the 2nd China International Chiropractic and Spinal Health Summit, which brought together over 200 in-person healthcare professionals, chiropractic students and interested students from widespread disciplines. A virtual audience of roughly 40,000 individuals also attended this unique event.

In conjunction with the International Chiropractors Association (ICA), this summit featured many leading experts representing Life U, such as Peng Li, D.C. (Life U ’12), Serving as Emcee and translator, Dr. Li presented on “The Impact of Chiropractic on Athletic Performance,” drawing from his experience working with Chinese Olympians – a contribution that has helped bring global recognition to Life U and the field of Chiropractic.

Other Life U alumni and faculty highlighted at the Summit included Yue Hou, D.C. (Life U ’21), Executive Director of the Department of Chiropractic at West China Hospital and faculty member at Sichuan University. Dr. Hou explored the “Application of Chiropractic Science in Multidisciplinary Fields,” while Michael Longyear, D.C., DACNB, former Director of Life U’s NeuroLIFE Institute, presented on “Posture and the Brain” and “Intro to Functional Neurology.” John Downes, D.C., Life U’s Vice President for Institutional Initiatives presented on “Neuromechanics and Spinal Health.” The remainder of the program included equally intriguing ICA presentations and medical experts from other disciplines with case studies that emphasized the integration of spinal and neurological care in treating spinal diseases, spondylosis and other conditions. The Summit reflects Life U’s commitment to advancing global chiropractic education and interdisciplinary healthcare initiatives.

Partly due to Life U’s influence, Chiropractic as a valid healthcare option is beginning to take root in China. In the April 2023 edition of the academic journal Cureus, Dr. Li and other academic researchers contributed to a paper titled “Unlocking Athletic Potential: The Integration of Chiropractic Care into the Sports Industry and Its Impact on the Performance and Health of Athletes and Economic Growth in China and Hong Kong”. The paper outlines many areas in which chiropractic care has been utilized in professional sports in China and Hong Kong, listing 34 professional sports teams and leagues spanning a diverse array of popularized sports, mostly notably in service to Olympic and National teams.

“The public’s understanding and acceptance of chiropractic services as a vital component of sports medicine and overall health continues to evolve, but additional efforts are required to promote the public’s perception and acceptance of chiropractic services as an integral component of sports medicine and overall health,” the paper states.

Regardless, the continued inclusion of chiropractic care in the China’s public healthcare lexicon is encouraging and a positive indicator for the future.

 

Citations

Lin AFC, Piong SZ, Wan WM, Li P, Chu VK, Chu EC. Unlocking Athletic Potential: The Integration of Chiropractic Care into the Sports Industry and Its Impact on the Performance and Health of Athletes and Economic Growth in China and Hong Kong. Cureus. 2023 Apr 5;15(4):e37157. doi: 10.7759/cureus.37157. PMID: 37034139; PMCID: PMC10075015.

Chu EC, Lin AFC, Chu V. The Inclusion of Chiropractic Care in the Healthy China Initiative 2030. Cureus. 2023 Aug 7;15(8):e43068. doi: 10.7759/cureus.43068. PMID: 37680438; PMCID: PMC10481885.