Celebrity fitness guru Tim Robards is engulfed in a brewing health controversy, with the health clinic where he works likely breaching the law by making extraordinary and unproven health claims about using chiropractic manipulations to treat women, newborn babies and children.
The Weekly Online can exclusively reveal Health Space – a Sydney-based network of clinics where Robards is a chiropractor – is claiming the alternative spinal therapy can help overcome infertility, benefit unborn babies during pregnancy and fix newborn babies’ spines.
In defiance of repeated industry-wide warnings of possible prosecution from Australia’s health regulator in recent weeks, Health Space also suggests on its website that chiropractic care may be appropriate for a wide range of childhood conditions such as colic, reflux, bed-wetting, cold and flu, and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD).
There is no evidence chiropractic manipulations can treat any of these conditions.
Melbourne orthopaedic spine surgeon John Cunningham told The Weekly Online some claims made by Health Space were “rubbish” and “a clear breach” of the Australian Health Practititioner Regulation Agency’s (AHPRA) advertising rules.
“This is so disappointing – this is exactly the kind of stuff that gives chiropractors a bad name,” he says.
“This is just rubbish. Patients deserve more than to have their money taken off them by people who spend more time being spin doctors than caring for their health.”
Mr Cunningham – who spoke out last month about a controversial video showing Melbourne chiropractor Ian Rossborough cracking the spine of a four-day-old premature baby (video below) – took particular issue with vulnerable parents of new babies being targeted in chiropractic advertising.
“This is simply spin: trying to drum up business from parents who are pulling their hair out trying to figure out why their baby is crying, what happened yesterday that’s made them have colic today,” says Mr Cunningham, who is a father of four. “These parents need sympathy and assistance – they don’t need to be told there’s something wrong with their child.”
WATCH: Controversial video shows Melbourne chiropractor Ian Rossborough craching the spine of a premature baby.
Under the “helpful tips” for “Mums and Bubs” section tab of its website, Health Space suggests chiropractic treatment can help infertile women conceive, boost the health of mothers and unborn babies during pregnancy (including lowering the chance of a breech baby) and correct the spines of newborn babies who may have suffered “trauma”, “distress” or “imbalances” from being in the womb or travelling along the birth canal.
The baby’s symptoms may not show up for years, claims Health Space, but could lead to “a lifetime of damaging effects”.
Only two months ago, the Chiropractic Board of Australia issued a statement to the profession on advertising that raised concerns about health claims on pregnancy and infants: “Chiropractic care must not be represented or provided as a treatment to the unborn child as an obstetric breech correction technique,” it noted.
Health Space recommends taking children to be checked by a chiropractor as soon as possible after birth, at virtually all the early developmental milestones, if they are ever sick (including colds, flu, ear aches and sinus problems) and before and after vaccination.
Children with “colic, reflux, constipation, explosive stools, feeding difficulties, bed-wetting, digestive issues, allergies, behaviour & concentration issues, co-ordination problems, postural problems, scoliosos, flat or mis-shaped heads, ADD or ADHD” should also see a chiropractor, it claims.
Health claims by chiropractors relating to infants and children are of “particular concern”, according to the Chiropractic Board’s statement.
“Claims suggesting that manual therapy for spinal problems can assist with general wellness and/or benefit a variety of paediatric syndromes and organic conditions are not supported by satisfactory evidence,” it states.
“This includes claims relating to developmental and behavioural disorders, ADHD, autistic spectrum disorders, asthma, infantile colic, bed-wetting, ear infections and digestive problems.”
Under Australia’s Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, a person or business must not advertise a regulated health service in a way that is “false, misleading or deceptive”, “creates an unreasonable expectation of beneficial treatment” or “encourages the indiscriminate or unnecessary use of regulated health services.”
Last week, AHPRA warned it would “in the most serious cases, prosecute chiropractors who are breaching their legal obligations”. A spokesperson said she could not comment on individual cases but acknowledged a number of cases of alleged breaches were being investigated.
However, both AHPRA and the Chiropractic Board have been criticised for a lack of meaningful action against chiropractors who flout the rules. Letters are sent out but penalties are rare.
Surgeon John Cunningham says, “If the board is interested in protecting the public, they would issue a fine [to chiropractors who breach the law on advertising].” Fines of up to $10,000 can be issued for breaching the law on advertising regulated health services.
Dr Ken Harvey, who has submitted complaints about ten chiropractic clinics to AHPRA, said it wasn’t good enough for the health regulators to rely on others to report dodgy claims.
The Weekly Online understands Health Space was among more than 400 chiropractic services reported to AHPRA by Friends of Science in Medicine earlier this year for alleged advertising breaches relating to chiropractic treatment of children.
“There should be active surveillance and active monitoring,” Dr Harvey says. Otherwise, he says, some operators simply ignore warnings, only temporarily remove advertising claims or set up a new website.
Dr Brian Morton, chair of the Australian Medical Association’s Council of General Practice, told The Weekly Online chiropractors should be subject to the same strict standards as other health professionals. “Doctors have to respect evidence-based medicine and do no harm,” he says. “We need something much more rigorous to bring [chiropractors] in line with the rest of us.”
Health Space has previously been linked to the anti-vaccination movement. On its website, it promotes two books as available onsite that are known to raise doubts about vaccinations.
In March, the Chiropractic Board told chiropractors not to “display, promote or provide materials, information or advice that is anti-vaccination in nature.”
Tim Robards is listed as “Dr Timothy Robards” on Health Space’s website. As part of an agreement in registering with AHPRA, it was agreed chiropractors could call themselves doctors.
This doesn’t mean they have medical degrees.
Tim Robards was “not available for comment” when contacted by The Weekly Online today.
Health Space did not respond by time of publication.
This article was amended on 12 May 2016 to clarify that at the time of writing Mr Robards was an employee of Health Space. The previous version described Health Space as “Tim Robards’ health clinic”. Mr Robards ceased being a director and shareholder of Health Space on 2 January 2016.
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