Robert Walker, PhD, professor and head of New York Chiropractic College's anatomy department, recently completed research that he thinks dispels the ethnic distinctions that have been offered to explain the varying thickness of human bone cortex. Bone cortex (or cortical bone) is the hard thin collar of bone that surrounds spongier interior bone and gives structural strength and rigidity to bone. Dr. Walker concludes that differences in cortical bone mass and rates of bone loss are closely related to differences in activity levels, diet, and other factors of nonracial or nongeographic origin.
His research may significantly affect how field chiropractors will diagnose bone conditions and suggest methods for treating (and avoiding) bone problems. It is a common belief that the rate of osteoporosis among blacks is very low. Dr. Walker's research points to the conclusion that osteoporosis is a disorder that affects people regardless of ethnic background, and should therefore be considered in the treatment of all patients.
Dr. Walker explains that bones gain mass when stressed, as happens during exercise. This "mechanical loading" of bone is extremely important for its healthy maintenance, and therefore should be encouraged at all ages, beginning in young adulthood and continuing throughout life. Since no race is immune to its debilitating effects, elderly adults of every background should be examined, treated and adjusted with osteoporosis in mind.
When I graduated from chiropractic college in 1981 and started practice, I heard it all, and very little was positive. “You are a quack; you do not know what a subluxation is; you couldn’t get into a real health care program, so you chose the one that is slightly above a mail-order degree; you have no proof that chiropractic works; Are you really licensed?”, and so much more.
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A central challenge in creating our identity is that chiropractic is a method of care, not a technique or procedure. This is an important concept for us to promote. Our patients are treated with lifestyle modification, exercise, nutritional supplements, diet and a whole-body approach to accelerate the natural healing process. We are not simply CMT providers.
The results of a global survey released late last year (2023) unveiled some startling findings among medical and nursing students. The “Clinician of the Future: 2023 Education Edition” surveyed 2,212 students, of which 446 were in the United States, from 91 countries.
