Greater Access to Alternative Care - Survey of Employee Benefit Specialists Very Encouraging
Dynamic Chiropractic Staff
The International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists has conducted a nationwide survey on the personal use of alternative care and employee benefits. Those surveyed included employee benefit specialists, consultants, plan administrators, insurers and managed care providers.
The results of the survey hold great promise for chiropractic and other forms of alternative care among employee benefit plans. The first set of questions were directed at the personal habits of employee benefits specialists:
45 percent of respondents used some form of alternative care in the last year.
20 percent of those who haven't used alternative care expect to or would consider doing so in the future.
Chiropractic was the third most used form of alternative care, with "well-being" the most common reason for using it:
The second section provides insight into future expectations, with questions specific to the current coverage and employers' attitudes:
67 percent expect the current interest in alternative care to be increasing.
46 percent believed that employer coverage of acupuncture will be as common as coverage of chiropractic is today within the next 10 years.
Perhaps the most important question addressed the obstacles preventing employer coverage:
The "Obstacles to Employer Coverage" list should be considered a potential agenda for chiropractic and other forms of alternative care seeking greater employer coverage. While public demand is fueling inclusion on a limited basis, the obstacles on the list are keeping many employees from enjoying the care they need.
Of the top three obstacles, research is coming along, but lack of consistent regulation and the need for greater public-relations endeavors continue to hamper full inclusion.
A historic meeting between chiropractic and Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) leadership took place on March 10th, 2026, in Washington, D.C., featuring representatives from chiropractic national organizations, professional associations and policy principals. The collective goal: advancing the role of chiropractic in improving the health of Americans. Meeting participants focused on long-standing issues that have affected the chiropractic profession for decades, including access to care, reimbursement parity, and ensuring DCs have an appropriate role in national health policy discussions.
Radicular-like pain of the upper and lower extremities is among the most common presentations in musculoskeletal and spine-related practice. Traditionally, these symptoms are interpreted through a disc-centric and dermatomal framework, often leading clinicians to attribute limb pain, paresthesia or perceived weakness to spinal nerve-root pathology. While this approach is appropriate in cases of true radiculopathy, it frequently falls short when symptoms fail to follow consistent dermatomal patterns or correlate poorly with imaging findings.
A 46-year-old male presented to our clinic with a seven-year history of recurrent low back pain with sciatica. He reported stiffness and discomfort that worsened with prolonged sitting both at his desk job and during evening television time. The patient had seen multiple chiropractors over the years. In every case, spinal manipulation and other passive treatments would bring gradual symptom relief over 2-3 months. However, within another 3-6 months, the symptoms would return. Frustrated – and now considering a spinal injection and possibly surgery if that failed, he came to our office seeking a different approach.
