Schmidt notes that, “Chiropractors have a big advantage over other healthcare providers when it comes to functional capacity assessments. They typically have hands-on experience with the patient many more times than the medical doctors. They have the opportunity to observe the patient’s response to treatment. They have the opportunity to observe the patient’s condition both at the beginning of the workday and at the end of the workday, thus allowing them to make a comparative assessment of how the physical activities of the workday have affected the patient’s condition.”
Schmidt notes that chiropractors offering use the various assessment tools such as the Oswestry Neck and Back Protocol, the Henry Ford Headache Disability Assessment protocol, and the Rand SF36 Assessment protocol.
Schmidt is currently working on the development of a comprehensive Functional Capacities Assessment protocol that can be used by Chiropractors.
