In this issue of Dynamic Chiropractic, Dr. Barge asks the question, "After 'Philosophical Constructs' What Do We Have Left?" The answer to this question is: "A true health care profession.
As a practicing Christian, I can and do lay claim to the belief that God is intimately involved in the health and welfare of all beings. My faith, based upon what I have been taught as a child and what I have learned an an adult, helps me to maintain that belief. As a result of my faith, I often pray for God's intervention in the lives of those who are mentally, emotionally or physically sick.
As a chiropractic physician, and more particularly as a chiropractic educator, I believe that it is my responsibility to society to make every effort to help in the development of a conservative health care profession that can be accepted by the members of society as a profession that is worthy of the public trust.
It is difficult to trust a group of people who, however vociferously proclaim their worthiness, fail to demonstrate in any objective way their validity and/or their reliability. No evangelistic proclamation by members of the group as to the purported beliefs can masquerade as objectivity regardless of its origin or its quantity.
Dr. Barge quoted from a letter which was written to another individual and then quoted from the National College Outreach publication. I agree with Dr. Barge. I did say that the static anatomical vertebral displacement model of subluxation with replacement by chiropractic adjusting is not a viable model. Nothing that the profession has done in the way of well structure research has supported this concept, nor does our knowledge of the physiology of paraspinal soft tissues. I said it, and I say it again.
That does not mean that I would not change my position if, through legitimate research, the profession proved me wrong. If I am guilty of anything, it is that I want the public, which I serve as a chiropractor and as an educator, to be able to trust our profession as a group of people who serve the public's needs through chiropractic health care.
If our profession has reached the point where its rational members cannot contemplate any change, then perhaps we truly do need a reconstruction of our thinking. For those who are not rational, there is probably little hope, for one does not easily change the mind of the zealot. Meanwhile, I for one shall continue to pursue a pathway of rational thinking supported by those objective measures that the people whom I serve expect of the learned professions.
James Winterstein, D.C.
Lombard, Illinois
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?
