Let's Get Unified!
I read with great interest the comments of respected attorney George McAndrews, Esq.1 I found his observations both enlightening and confirmative. I read his statements after re-reading the article by Daniel Osborne, MS, addressing the apparent bias of insurance investigators.2 These two articles, combined with the recent report on about the "war on chiropractic" in Italy,3 should give pause to readers about the various threats to chiropractic, at the state, federal and international levels.
In the article by Mr. Osborne, he seemed to be saying that insurance investigators at the seminar he attended focused on provider health care fraud, not property issues (for the first time in 18 seminars), and that his sense was that attendees believed chiropractic was almost synonymous with fraud. In my estimation, insurance investigators' bias is a tiny subset of a greater subset of those in law, and law enforcement in general. I've had many opportunities to gather the opinions of lawyers, judges, and people in various levels of law enforcement on chiropractic. What I have seen and heard is very much in harmony with Mr. Osborne's observations: They act as if most chiropractors are just crooks who haven't been caught yet. To many people in law, we are shady, plain and simple. I know most of my brothers and sisters in chiropractic don't want to hear, believe or acknowledge that in any way; but the truth is a stubborn thing - it doesn't go away for long.
So, we know there are allopathic doctors and medical organizations that appear to have a bias against chiropractic, if not actively involved in destroying the profession altogether. And according to Mr. Osborne, insurance investigators are apparently promoting the notion that chiropractic is rife with fraud. And now, I am asserting that law enforcement, lawyers, and in general, those involved in law in any fashion seem to have a deep, underlying anti-chiropractic bias and lack of respect. (Please see an article of mine that appeared some time back in this publication.)4
Does all this bias have any effect on us? You bet it does. Professions, on a state-by-state basis, are ruled by laws, usually passed at the state level, and by federal laws, passed at the federal level. Before being passed, these laws were introduced and voted on by legislators. Now guess what profession most legislators come from? Most were attorneys before entering politics (and some were also MDs, like [Vermont Gov.] Howard Dean and [Senate Majority Leader] Bill Frist).
So, if attorneys and members of law enforcement (a certain number of attorneys were in law enforcement before practicing law) are biased against chiropractic, what effect do you think that might have on laws passed affecting chiropractic?
I think it is important to understand and believe that, as a profession, we are beset on many sides by enemies and opponents - physical therapists, MDs, law enforcement, lawyers, judges, legislators, insurance examiners, etc. Perhaps the saddest thing is that we cannot even unify our own members, and as if having so many external enemies isn't bad enough, we have these crazy fighting points, like whether we just adjust the first cervical vertebra, or whether we can use physical therapeutic modalities. It all reminds me of the story of war in Gulliver's Travels, in which the "big enders" and the "little enders" fought over which end of the egg was proper to break open.
I say it doesn't matter - just break the darn egg, and let's get unified!
References
Dear Editor:
Richard Jaffe's article, "An Associate Chiropractor's Story," [www.chiroweb.com/archives/21/22/08.html] should be required reading for every student in every chiropractic college. This scenario, with small variations in details, occurs far more often than many of your readers are probably ready to believe. It is incumbent on the colleges to charge students with responsibility for their own billing and documentation, and arm them with the necessary skepticism to function in a world with a few pirates.
Christophe Dean, DC
Berkley, Michigan
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?
