ROANOKE, VA - If you lived in Iowa some years ago, you may remember a radio and television station with the call letters WOC. WOC stood for "wonders of chiropractic," and the station was the brainchild of B.J.Palmer. It was B.J. who coined the term "broadcasting" from the farming method of sowing seeds for growth. B.J. Palmer was "broadcasting the wonders of chiropractic."
Wouldn't it be terrific if we could take it one step further and broadcast the wonders of chiropractic in a more direct way? People need to know how crucial chiropractic care can be to maintaining an active, healthy lifestyle. Even back then, Foot Levelers focused on promoting and serving chiropractors and their patients. However, in celebration of Foot Levelers' 50th anniversary, we are forming a new working group called the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (FCP).
The FCP had their first meeting on December 11, 2001 to hone key points and polish message delivery during media interviews. FCP defined its mission "to create and raise a higher awareness level for the public about chiropractic." Of course the ultimate goal is for more people to make appointments to see chiropractors.
The foundation is the action group for broadcasting these messages during a major nationwide public awareness campaign for chiropractic to be launched in early 2002. Funded by Foot Levelers, this exciting and educational campaign will target consumer magazines, newspapers, and wire services with a goal of getting at least 24 national exposures.
The campaign, a gift-back-to-the-profession from Foot Levelers in celebration the company's 50th anniversary, will be carried out by the FCP and a large independent public relations firm. Chiropractic is health care's best kept secret. It's time for chiropractic to move forward and we are putting a substantial amount of funding and energy into making it happen.
The FCP consists of six-members: Dr. Carl S. Cleveland III; Dr. Peter Ferguson; Dr. Jerilyn Kaibel; Dr. Louis Sportelli; Dr. Terry R. Yochum; and myself.
Calling for Case Studies
We need your help to accomplish this get the word out! Although we have key messages defined and the foundation in place, we're in dire need of chiropractic success case studies to share during media interviews and for positive press.
We need case studies in all areas of chiropractic care: from pregnant mothers to athletic care to geriatric chiropractic cases. Please take the time to send us one of your favorite success stories. If every doctor sent us one case study, we'd have more than enough information for helping us educate the public regarding the wonders of chiropractic. Let's show them the wonders we all experience every day!
There is a void in today's media coverage of chiropractic, and we plan to fill it. Only one in 10 Americans visit a chiropractor, and we all want the other nine to become patients. Here's an opportunity for everyone to pitch in and help!
Table 1. Sample Format for a Short Case Study
| Contact Information Case Summary | Include your name, phone, and email in case we have questions. Write a one or two-sentence description summarizing the case and explaining why this case is notable. |
| The Patient | Age, occupation, family history, and anything that could have had an impact on this case (hobbies, accidents, activities, etc.) |
| The Symptoms | What prompted the patient to come in? |
| The Problem | What did you observe? How does the symptom deviate from normal? Why was this particular case interesting to the doctor? What caused the problem? |
| The Treatment | What was the treatment? (Step-by-step.) What did it entail? Why was this particular treatment chosen over others? What barriers to treatment did the doctor encounter? |
| The Results | What were the results? What do they suggest? What worked especially well? What didn't work so well? What should other chiropractors learn about after reading this case? |
| References | Include any references you'd like to include for helping others find information about this same problem? |
Please send your case studies to:
The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress,
P.O. Box 12611
Roanoke, VA 24027
As part of this effort, Foot Levelers has funded a scientific research study to examine public perceptions and beliefs about chiropractic. The study encompassed over 600 respondents over the age of 18 in a variety of economic levels, educational levels, and racial/cultural backgrounds.
The results of the study (which are still being compiled) will be used to target consumer daily news periodicals and magazines throughout the year.
For more information, call Foot Levelers at 1-800-553-4860 (from Canada: 1-800-344-4860).
Kent Greenawalt
president and CEO of Foot Levelers
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