Brazil-Federal Judge Rules in Favor of Chiropractic Profession

■ On Marci i 3,2009, in the latest step by the Brazilian Chiropractors' Association (ABQ) to defend the chiropractic profes­sion against efforts by the physiotherapy profession to have chiropractic declared a specialty of physiotherapy (PT), Federal Judge Diana Brunstein has ruled strongly in favor of the ABQ. Chiropractic is a profession not a technique, says Judge Brunstein, and PT authorities should not seek to declare it a specialty of physiotherapy. An appeal by CREFITO, the regulatory body for PT in the State of Sao Paulo, asking to remove an earlier court injunction against CREFITO, was denied. The background to this dispute is that the ABQ, representing less than 400 chiro­practors in Brazil, is promoting legislation to regulate the practice of chiropractic. The response of the national regulatory body COFFITO, representing over 90,000 PT's, has been to claim chiropractic is a specialty of PT. For Judge Brunstein's decision in Por­tuguese and English, much more informa­tion, a list of donors, and a donation form, should you be willing to assist with the ABQ's ongoing legal and legislative costs, visit www.wfc.org/newsroom.