A CANADIAN-born doctor has returned to his parents' home town of Darwen to open the area's first private chiropractor's clinic.

Dr Trevor Crump, 33, seen treating Josh Rawcliffe, aged 10, will start to care for town's backs, necks and joints on Monday and is determined to capitalise on the lack of competition. He said England provided a great opportunity compared to America, where chiropractors were a popular and conventional form of treatment.

Dr Crump studied for eight years -- first as an undergraduate at West Virginia University, and then as a post-graduate at Life University in Atlanta Georgia. He worked in Massachusetts in 1998 once his studies were complete, but headed to England in 2000 to follow his parents. He has since been working at the Wigan Farm clinic as saved up for his own practise.

Dr Crump spent much of his younger years travelling but was brought up mainly in Canada. His father Vaughan was an technical engineer and posted to many foreign places. But now his parents have settled back in Minister Close, Darwen, and Dr Crump has decided to open his practice in nearby Richmond Terrace.

Initially it will open on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and for a half-day on Saturday, but Dr Crump hopes it will soon be a full-time venture.

"You get all sorts of patients," he said. "Just about anyone can benefit from the very young to the elderly. Most people in America are familiar with chiropractors. We are way behind over here, although it's starting to take off now.

"People are usually horrified the first time but are impressed when they realise what we do. It's not so bad when you try it. You hear a little crack and it goes. We get to the root of the problems."

He said he loved living in Darwen. "I moved back to be near my family," he said. "I have a brother and sister who still live in Canada, but the rest are in Lancashire. It's fun in Darwen. It's a good central location".