Healthcare Hero: Dr. Arif Karmali

Healthcare Hero Dr. Arif Karmali is a Chiropractic Sport Specialist. He has also served as a board member for the Youth & Sports Board and ITREB in the Prairies. In the community, Dr. Karmali is the team chiropractor for the Okotoks Oilers Junior A Hockey Club (of the Alberta Junior Hockey League). He is also a member of the Admissions Advisory Committee for the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, and a member on the National Sports Organizations Committee of the Royal College of Chiropractic Sports Sciences (Canada).

As 1 of only 9 chiropractic sport specialists in Alberta, Dr. Karmali belongs to a specialty area of primary healthcare that focuses on the assessment, diagnosis, prevention, triage, and management of musculoskeletal pathology. Dr. Karmali reflects that among many lessons during the pandemic, one of the most important lessons for him, his colleagues, policy makers, and patients is that safe and reliable access to expert musculoskeletal care is essential.

According to the World Health Organization, non-communicable diseases such as musculoskeletal conditions, including low back pain and neck pain fall into the top 5 causes of global disability and contribute to an immense global burden of disease. Some of these conditions can be increasingly debilitating and inhibit a person’s ability to perform daily activities, while other conditions can be emergent, complex, neuropathic, or systemic and can masquerade as musculoskeletal in nature. In the early stages of the pandemic, it was critical that Dr. Karmali and his team were able to triage these cases accordingly and ensure that only truly emergent cases are being referred to a hospital in an effort to reduce the strain placed on our healthcare system. In addition to providing Telehealth consultations for chronic and non-emergent cases, Dr. Karmali and his colleagues were privileged to provide in-person urgent care with the intent of helping these patients avoid visiting an emergency department and risking exposure to COVID-19.

Despite ongoing fluctuations in regional restrictions over the past year, the need for urgent, acute, and regular musculoskeletal care has not ceased. Patients engaged in treatment for a multiplicity of acute and chronic conditions may require regular care, oversight, and follow-up. It has been incumbent on his team to continue to provide this care in the safest way possible. Knowing that he has been able to continue to serve the community and help ease the burden of patients (in a small or large way) during this difficult time is great source of particular comfort for Dr. Karmali.

Dr. Karmali also reflects that he has had the great privilege of looking after so many other essential healthcare workers over the course of the pandemic as well, including ICU nurses, family physicians, and health care aides. Being able to provide care for those who have been on the frontlines has been immensely fulfilling. “We take care of them so that they can take care of us”.

Maintaining a balance between activities is critical for Dr. Karmali. Devoting time to spiritual search, going to the gym, playing hockey, serving the community, enjoying his interactions with patients at the clinic, and spending time with family and friends are things that bring Dr. Karmali great joy.