October 30, 1990
Dr. Steven Pappas, Executive Director
National Advisor Committee on
Accreditation and Institutional Eligibility
United States Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20202
Dear Dr. Pappas:
I write to express to the National Advisory Committee my interest in their consideration of the possible renewal of recognition for the Straight Chiropractic Academic Standards Association (SCASA).
My concerns over the initial recognition of SCASA by the secretary of education are already on record. I believe the recognition action of Secretary Bennett was ill-considered, unjustified, and incorrect. It has raised doubt about the integrity of the secretary's recognition process.
SCASA now comes before the National Advisory Committee for the first time since its initial recognition. The integrity of the secretary's recognition and the health of the accreditation commuity requires the consideration be forthright and clearly focused on the criteria for recognition as contained in the regulations.
Irrelevant issues raised in earlier committee hearings on SCASA have clouded effective consideration of the recognition criteria. Among these issues are the relationships among different schools of chiropractic. I trust that at the hearing next month the committee will resist any effort to introduce such extraneous issues into the discussion. The question before the committee is whether SCASA meets the recognition criteria; other issues are not germane to the committee's recommendation and the secretary's decision.
I have confidence in the ability and integrity of the committee in reaching its recommendation. My purpose in writing is simply to underscore that its deliberations cannot be merely routine. The initial recognition action was seriously defective. Many do not think that SCASA demonstrated compliance with the secretary's criteria at the time of initial recognition. If SCASA does not now demonstrate that it meets the criteria, SCASA's recognition should be withdrawn.
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?
