The ACA's Task Force on Chiropractic and Primary Care held a strategic planning session March 26th in Chicago. The meeting included not only prominent leaders of chiropractic, but practitioners from the "rank and file."
"The purpose of this special meeting was to have facilitated discussion ... to analyze the chiropractor as a primary-care doctor/provider, so as to fully agree on a definition of chiropractic services," said ACA President John Pammer, DC.
The clear conclusion of the task force was that chiropractic must find a consensus definition of chiropractic to facilitate the profession's inclusion in national health care reform.
Carolyn Clancy, MD, of the Agency of Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR), addressed the task force on the challenges facing government in developing a workable health-care program.
House Minority Whip Newt Gingrich (R-GA) spoke about national health care reform to over 1,000 chiropractic students during his visit to Life Chiropractic College March 31st. "I will vote for consumers to continue to have the ability to control their health," said Rep. Gingrich, whose wife has been treated by a DC for a herniated disc. "I will vote to include chiropractic. I want to maximize every citizen's right to have a full menu."
This was the congressman's second visit to the college. In February of 1992, he spoke to a group of students and toured the campus.
The University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic sponsored a one-day program and panel discussion on May 19th, "Chiropractic's Future as a Primary Care Provider." Pran Manga, PhD, principle author of the widely publicized study, "Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of chiropractic management of low back pain," led the program. Dr. Manga is the director of the Health Administration Program at the University of Ottawa. The "Manga" report was released this past fall by the Ontario Ministry of Health.
Following Dr. Manga's presentation, there was a panel discussion with Dr. Manga, Frank Zolli, DC, dean of U. of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic; Arnold Cianciulli, MS, DC, president of the NCMIC, and member of the New Jersey State Board of Chiropractic Examiners and the National Chiropractic Health Care Advisory Commission to the Clinton administration; and Marino Passero, DC, chair of the Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE).
At an April 19th meeting of the board of directors of the Federation of Straight Chiropractors and Organizations (FSCO), a five-member committee was appointed to formulate its policy on chiropractic's inclusion in national health care.
The committee, chaired by James Healey, DC, was charged by FSCO Board Chairman Joseph Donofrio, DC, with completing the written policy and presenting the board with a statement on the implications and ramifications of chiropractic exclusion. The FSCO states it will widely distribute the policy statement within Congress and throughout the chiropractic profession.
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
