Submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Masters’ Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, 2014. / Background: The function and roles of legislation primarily provide a protective function for the public by preserving their fundamental rights. Legislation also maintains the legitimacy of the professions and aids in defining the scope of practice within the profession. Legislation may however affect the international migration of practitioners, in addition to geographical proximity, shared language, customs and educational curricula as well as historical links. There is no published literature that compares chiropractic legislation in regulated countries, thus no understanding of where possible similarities and differences exist and the impact they may have on the migration of chiropractors Objective: The main objective of the study is to aid in increasing the understanding of the values, structures and operations of various international chiropractic regulatory systems with the goal of identifying the similarities and differences (viz. compare) between these chiropractic regulatory systems. Method: Six countries with chiropractic Legislation were selected using purposive sampling based on the number of practicing chiropractors. The USA was divided into states with the top three selected according to practicing chiropractors, Canada was divided and the top province selected based on practicing chiropractors. Information and data was obtained via desk based research and additional information was gathered by the researcher from the registrar of the respective regulatory bodies. Results: A variety of factors were identified that may either aid in or hinder the mobility of chiropractors across jurisdictions. By analysing the legislative documents, it was found that regulatory bodies remain similar in content and structure however significant differences were also found. Conclusion: In conclusion, regulatory bodies and their governing documents and procedures remain similar in content and structure. However the study revealed differences factors that could possibly affect the mobility of chiropractors across jurisdictions. These areas identified included: Educational standards and processes, competency maintenance, registration requirements (local and foreign), disciplinary procedure and processes and constraints placed by supranational bodies.

This study showed that state laws and policies constrain the locational preferences of alternative health care providers to varying degrees, depending on the particular profession and level of legal status. Three separate surveys were conducted, focusing on acupuncturists, chiropractors and homeopaths in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and the District of Columbia. The acupuncture findings revealed intraprofessional divisions that lead to a strong influence of legal constraints on the locational behavior of non-MD acupuncturists. Results from the chiropractic survey reflected an established profession with a less pronounced, but moderate, influence of state laws and policies on location and mobility. The homeopathy findings, while based on a much smaller sample, did not reveal a strong relationship between legal constraints and spatial characteristics, except in the extreme case of North Carolina's recent prohibition. This study also postulated a model to explain the progression of alternative health care professions toward legitimation. The variables of public acceptance and legal constraints on location were plotted on the model to identify particular levels of progression. The importance of this research is highlighted by impending health care reforms, the need for access to professional health services, skyrocketing biomedical costs, and the documented utilization of alternative health care in this country. / Master of Science