Chiropractic students manipulate backs at Denis Hurley Centre

EVERY Wednesday at 08:00, Durban Central’s Denis Hurley Centre opens its door to Fifth and Sixth-Year chiropractic students from Durban University of Technology (DUT). The students are provided with a spacious room at the centre to lay out their chiropractic drop tables and prepare for the day’s patients. Between 08:00 and 11:30, the students see 20 to 30 people: some are Denis Hurley Centre patrons; some are Denis Hurley Centre staff, and other patients are visiting Durban residents who have heard about the complementary chiropractic services at the centre.

Dr Charmain Korporaal is the supervisor for the students and says that they have been involved in the community initiative for a month, but she has already seen the benefits the charity work has had on her students.

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“This, along with the many other community outreach programmes we are involved in, gives the students a great deal of experience and is also beneficial for the patients who get treatments for ailments that some of them have been dealing with for years. It’s a win-win,” said Korporaal.

Korporaal said that they see a fairly equal number of staff and patients and have ensured that they open the programme up to staff especially. “Often times, at many of the places we visit, especially at places that provide charity work, the staff are overlooked.”

Korporaal concluded that the programme at the Denis Hurley Centre has been a major success for students, staff and residents, and they will continue to work closely with the centre and its patrons.

Sixth-Year chiropractic student Shameez Egumbo said the work has been rewarding. “It’s an amazing feeling to be able to bring someone to the point of being okay. Some of the people that we see have been suffering with some ailments for many years, and then they tell you that they feel not only better, but amazing, for the first time in years. It’s very rewarding work.”

Fellow chiropractic student Karisa Pillay said she has gained valuable experience from the charity work. “This experience has been very informative. These are cases we don’t really see in the chiropractic clinical practice. It’s also nice to do something for the community and introduce people to something new.”

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A first-time visitor to the clinic, Sipho Shongwe, said he didn’t think he would ever have access to chiropractic services. Speaking about his first treatment, performed by Fifth-Year student Ching-hsuan Chen, he said, “It was great because I’ve never had something like this done before. I never thought I would because I’ve always seen it as expensive, thinking I would one day only if I had money.”

Shongwe heard about the free treatments from the Denis Hurley Centre staff when he visited the centre for food. Shongwe is currently living on the Durban Central streets and visits local shelters for a place to sleep when he can. Due to not having a proper bed to sleep in, he suffers from severe back pain. After the treatment, however, Shongwe said he felt completely refreshed.

“I feel brand new – this experience has been life-changing, and I will definitely be coming back!”

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