Please stop for a moment and try to think of one major national interdisciplinary organization of health care professionals in which chiropractors are accepted and welcomed as equals. Think of one organization where other health care providers can get continuing education credits for attending presentations organized by chiropractors.
If you have a hard time thinking of one, you need to think about the American Public Health Association (APHA), the world's oldest and largest public health association, with more than 55,000 affiliated members. This organization fully supports chiropractic participation in public health.
According to the APHA Web site (www.apha.org), chiropractic health care "enhances public health through the application of chiropractic knowledge to the community by conservative care, disease prevention and health promotion." Chiropractors have been a great source of strength within the APHA, serving on policy-making bodies, national task forces, and even on the executive board. Chiropractic members have also played a significant role in the function and service of the Chiropractic Health Care Section (CHC) of the APHA. The CHC, formed in 1995, has been the home of chiropractors within the APHA and has been chaired by many notable figures, including Drs. Mitchell Haas, Rand Baird, Lisa Killinger, Christine Goertz, and Elaine Cooperstein, the current chair.
Despite past successes and participation, chiropractic's role in the APHA is not guaranteed. The association is membership-driven, and chiropractic representation depends on membership. If the CHC is not active, growing and larger than 250 members, it can be dissolved. Current membership is approximately 280, which keeps the section under the constant risk of dissolution. Who needs chiropractors? The Chiropractic Health Care Section of the American Public Health Association does. We need you!
Imagine how chiropractic practice might be different, nationally and globally, if there were no chiropractors within the APHA:
It all started with the APHA and chiropractors who were committed to chiropractic, public health and political action.
The Chiropractic Health Care Section of APHA still needs you. The section could still be dissolved and chiropractic could lose this important and meaningful representation. If the scenarios above have helped you see how chiropractic practice would be different without the APHA, it's time to join. For information about becoming an APHA and CHC member, contact me at j.t.egan@gmail.com or visit www.apha.org and click on "Member Login/Join." Be sure to select "Primary: Chiropractic Health Care" as your "Primary Section."
Who needs chiropractors, anyway? The Chiropractic Health Care Section of the American Public Health Association does. We need you. Join now!
Resources
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?
