| The goal of this column has always been to provide various points of view from people in chiropractic who have a reputation for being knowledgeable, but most of all, for being caring and helping our profession to be everything it can be. Thus, I am pleased to announce that Dr. Bob Hoffman has authored the following article on unity. Dr. Hoffman graduated from New York Chiropractic College in 1978, and has served as president of the International Chiropractors Association and chairman of the board of the New York Chiropractic Council. He is currently president and COO of The Masters Circle, a leadership-coaching, practice-building and personal-development program for DCs who are serious about achieving success. I look forward to making progress on the challenge of chiropractic unity with you in 2005. Together, we will make this work! - Kent Greenawalt |
It has often been said that the single biggest problem our profession suffers from is a collective lack of self-esteem. As a result, the chiropractic profession suffers from an identity crisis. There are many causes, but fortunately, there is a cure.
Many in our profession cling to the status quo and do not want to speak out or even stand out. They accept their current circumstances and think that is good enough. Many try to assimilate by thinking and acting like "real doctors," in spite of the mounting evidence that medicine is the third leading cause of preventable death in our country. Others reduce their value by giving away free exams and charging reduced fees. Close to 90 percent of our colleagues elect not to belong to any national association and the vast majority of chiropractors do not support their alumni association. Enrollment in most chiropractic colleges is down 30 percent in the past six years, in spite of the growing awareness and acceptance of what we do.
These are all the end results of low and limited professional self-esteem.
After 109 years, this dilemma shows up with 50 different definitions of the practice of chiropractic, as a result of allowing every individual state to define who we are and what we can do. It shows up when our future colleagues are mandated to take national licensing exams that consistently test them on primarily non-chiropractic subjects. It continues to manifest by each chiropractic college having significantly different teaching curriculums and vastly different levels of professional philosophy, purpose, and faculty competency.
To make matters worse, we have succeeded in confusing the public, the media and legislators as to who we are. Yes, it only stands to reason that if we are confused about our own identity, our message to the masses must be confusing as well. This lack of identity, self-esteem and definition creates a lack of unity. It is a vicious cycle that must be altered and corrected.
Over the past decade, we have in fact made great strides in creating an environment of professional unity. In creating the necessary culture of cooperation, we have altered and adjusted the status quo that has held us back all of these years.
In the past 10 years, we have fortunately seen the end of the rugged individualism that so dominated the professional scene for our first 100 years. It was necessary for our founding fathers to set the course for our profession's success, but it has now become an impediment to our growth.
We have witnessed much better cooperation and communication between our national organizations, and new organizations such as the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations have influenced our professions thinking for the better.
The Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC) paradigm statement from a few years ago has been pivotal in creating the proper circumstances for our unity and our identity to emerge and enlarge. What is so important about this statement is that it can easily become the unifying definition of chiropractic, as it was written and accepted by all chiropractic college presidents. It should also guide and direct the consistency and quality of our education system.
It is important to know that it has already been accepted by all major chiropractic organizations, including the World Federation of Chiropractic; it should be the governing document as our profession shifts from its previous childlike actions to its decidedly more adult behaviors.
The ACC's position on chiropractic is very clear and extremely powerful. Its paradigm statement says chiropractic is a health care discipline that emphasizes the inherent recuperative power of the body to heal itself without the use of drugs and surgery. It also says that the practice of chiropractic focuses on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system), and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health. In addition, DCs recognize the value and responsibility of working in cooperation with other health care providers when it is in the best interest of the patient.
The statement goes on to say that the ACC continues to foster and advocate a unique, distinct chiropractic profession that serves as a health care discipline for all; a profession that generates, develops and utilizes the highest level of evidence possible in the provision of effective, prudent and cost-conscious patient evaluation and care.
This important document also elegantly states that the purpose of chiropractic is to optimize health.
Just this year, the ACC college presidents committed their support by signing a declaration of national public relations unity and a pledge of professional unity. By signing these documents, the college presidents agreed to retain a qualified, experienced national public relations firm, one experienced in delivering a nationwide message, which will develop and carry out a plan for a public relations campaign to motivate the American public to better utilize chiropractic care.
In addition, a powerful and significant study and book, How Chiropractors Think and Practice: The Survey of North American Chiropractors, was published by the Institute for Social Research from Ohio Northern University within the past year. This important study contradicts the long-standing stereotype that DCs are divided; the truth is, it actually documents the opposite. It states that chiropractors are united on many key issues, such as vertebral subluxation, the chiropractic adjustment and the appropriateness of living and teaching the chiropractic lifestyle.
The study findings document many central tenets that we have in common. It is time to change our focus away from our differences and toward our similarities:
An even more encouraging study finding was the solidarity and connection to the central core of chiropractic, such as:
It was predictable that chiropractors with larger practices, based on patient volume, were more inclined than others to have traditional chiropractic views. These two circumstances produce a more certain and more confident personal and professional identity. That is, certainty and clarity empower us, whereas confusion paralyzes us.
As further proof to the changing tide of understanding and unity, majorities from each of the broad-scope, middle-scope and focused-scope groups who responded to this survey were in agreement on the following key concepts:
The ACC paradigm paper gave the profession a much-needed beam of support for theoretical unity. This study provides strong evidence of a ground-level unity among practicing DCs.
As a profession, we can rapidly march in the direction of unity. We can have a stronger identity and help chiropractic become a worldwide, quality-of-life-driven health care delivery system, featuring chiropractic in the leading role. How can we accomplish this?
As we stand more united and raise our standards of excellence, we will win the admiration and respect of others. This is our profession and it is time we stop allowing outside influences and the small minority to decide what chiropractic is for us. There is so much we can rally around to ultimately better serve our patients. Isn't that what it is really all about?
Bob Hoffman, DC
Jericho, New York
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."
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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?
