CCA's Reacts to "The Crusaders"
The May 14th airing of "The Crusaders," the syndicated program which purported the danger of stroke following cervical manipulation, was responded to by Dr. Bradley Sullivan, president of the California Chiropractic Association (CCA).
Noting that no therapy is without risk, Dr. Sullivan said, "It is the responsiblity of all health care providers to minimize any adverse risk by appropriate examination and where the exam indicates, inform the patient of the risks involved." He added: "The millions of patients who have been successfully treated with cervical manipulation of doctors of chiropractic attest to the fact that the positive results more than outweigh the possible dangers."
Dr. Sullivan stated that although millions more cervical manipulations are given annually by DCs than MDs, that there are "more incidents of vertebral artery injury following manipulation by physicians/physiotherapists/osteopaths than by doctors of chiropractic."
"The risk of cervical manipulation complications pale in comparison to known medical risks," Dr. Sullivan said. He concluded: "Tragically, 1,600 children will die this year from allergic reactions to aspirin and thousands of people are expected to die from anaphalactic reactions to prescribed drugs. Also, according to a 1991 study by the Harvard Medical Practice Study Group in Cambridge, Mass., 80,000 persons die every year -- one person every seven minutes -- and 150,000 to 300,000 more are injured annually from medical negligence in hospitals."
Palmer College of Chiropractic West is relocating its Sunnyvale clinic this September from the Dunford Way site on which the college was founded 13 years ago, to a facility at 1190 Benton Way in Santa Clara. The new 8,300 square-foot facility will feature 12 treatment rooms, four examination rooms, a patient education classroom, a rehabilitation room, and x-ray/laboratory services.
PCCW President Peter Martin said the new clinic "... culminates our commitment to provide better facilities and services for our patients and students."
The Palmer West clinics, which include the Tasman Drive and downtown San Jose clinics, last year recorded more than 40,000 patient visits.
PCCW student Aaron Tjogas, 23, was one of more than 450 athletes flocking to Lake Tahoe to compete in the U.S. Amateur Snowboarding Association Championships. Ranked number one in the giant slalom in California/Nevada, one of 13 regional divisions of the USASA, Aaron placed fourth in the giant slalom and eighth in the slalom.
Five years ago while competing in a snowboarding race, he lost his balance when he hit one of the "gates" (poles that mark the course) at 60 mph, and tumbled into a snow bank. A chiropractor for one of the competing teams came to his aid. The DC's care left a lasting impression on Aaron. The chiropractic treatment he received was the catalyst that motivated him to pursue a career in chiropractic.
"My primary goal at this point is qualifying for the Olympic team: that would be a dream come true," Aaron said. "My clinical goal is to graduate and work as a sports chiropractor, preferably as a DC for the US ski and snowboarding teams."
Sixth-quarter PCCW student David Conragan, 24, who earlier this year captured second place honors in the 130 pound division at the California State Weightlifting Championships, had an excellent third place showing at the Senior National Weightlifting Championships in Kansas City, Missouri. His performance of 275 lbs. (snatch) and 341 lbs. (clean and jerk), qualifies him for an invitation to join hundreds of other athletes at the multi-sport Olympic Festival July 5-12 in St. Louis, Missouri.
"If I could have matched my personal best lift, I would have come in first" (at the Nationals), David said. But his third place finish in Kansas City was quite remarkable considering he underwent orthoscopic surgery on his shoulder only six months before the competition. David credits Dr. Thomas Souza, Palmer West clinician, with helping him rehabilitate the shoulder and facilitate his quick return to competition. David credits chiropractic in general for helping him compete: "The nature of my type of lifting is particularly stressful to the spine, and chiropractic care has kept my back injuries to a minimum by helping to develop flexibility and durability."
David has been a competitive weightlifter since 1988 and is a veteran of more than 50 weightlifting events. He is coached by seven-time national champion and 1984 Olympian Kevin Winter.
Only the top ten lifters at the Olympic Festival will represent the U.S. at the World Games later this year in Istanbul, Turkey. David will have to set personal bests at the Olympic Festival to get invited to the World Games, but he is confident of achieving that goal and views the event as another stop on the road to the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.
"That could be quite a year (1996)," David speculated. "I graduate from chiropractic college in March and have three months to train for the Olympic trials. Making the Olympic team and coming back to set up my practice would be the fulfillment of a double dream come true."
PCCW student Jacques Benoit, 28, a 14-year veteran of competitive cycling, returned to the elite-level race circuit recently after a two-year lay off by challenging some of the world's top riders with an impressive 7th place finish in the road cycling competition of the Sea Otter Classic, a two-day, multi-sport festival held at the Laguna Seca Raceway. Other competitors included Chris Huber and Robert Gagiolli of the Coors Light Cycling team, as well as top American and European riders. The 2.5 mile Laguna Seca track, whose design includes a 300-foot climb per lap, presents a unique challenge.
"This was my first big race in two years, and I was surprised with my finish, because I'm not in top racing condition," Jacques said. He won the Long Beach Race Series two years ago, and also cycled 1,300 miles in 18 days in route to several top 10 finishes in the 17-stage SuperWeek International Bike Race in Wisconsin. Last year, Mr. Benoit entered only 12 events in order to devote his time to the completion of his chiropractic prerequisites.
"Chiropractic adjustments have helped me to fulfill my racing potential and allowed my body to perform as a smooth machine," he said. "I hope to work with other cyclists, and help them reach their athletic goals through chiropractic."
In a May survey completed by nearly 200 patients treated at Life West's clinic in downtown Hayward, California, 98 percent gave the facility high marks, rating the clinic "excellent" or "good" in areas of quality of care and cost. Ninety percent said they believed that chiropractic care was helping them.
"This is the third year we have conducted a survey of patients at the clinic, and each year the patient satisfaction level increases," said Dr. George Casey, Life West dean of clinics. "We will continue to look for ways to maintain and increase our standards of excellence in patient care."
The clinic's senior interns, supervised by experienced DCs, provide care to about 1,000 patients each week.
Entering class enrollment for spring quarter 1994 at Life West has almost doubled from one year ago, with 61 new students enrolled compared to 31 in spring quarter 1993. The latest enrollment figures bring total enrollment at the professional college to 662. Total enrollment is up 37 percent from the same time last year, when Life West had 472 full-time students.
Eighty-six golfers participated in the Life West Golf Classic May 5th, a fund-raising event for Life's research department sponsored by the OUM Chiropractor Program. The tournament was also supported by prize donations and gifts from 51 chiropractic suppliers, chiropractors, restaurants, hotels, and other businesses.
Student Services: Sherri Kim, Jeanette Pena, Brad Kitchens
President Reed Phillips, DC, PhD, presented diplomas to 92 doctors of chiropractic at the April 16 commencement ceremony held at Claremont College.
Gary Schultz, DC, DACBR, who chairs the radiology department at LACC, was the commencement speaker.
Quang Duong Thanh was valedictorian.
Special awards:
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?
