Chiropractor Named to NCCAM Advisory Council
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) recently named six new members to its National Advisory Council. Among them is Gert Brontfort, DC, PhD, associate vice president of research at Northwestern Health Sciences University. A graduate of Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, Dr. Brontfort is also senior clinical researcher at Northwestern's Wolfe-Harris Center for Clinical Studies.
Council members serve four-year terms and meet three times annually. Composed of physicians, scientists, licensed CAM practitioners and members of the public, the council's purpose is to offer "advice and recommendations on prioritization, conduct and support of CAM research, including research training and communication of evidence-based health information."
In addition to Dr. Brontfort, other new members of the NCCAM advisory council include Timothy Birdsall, ND, FABNO; Boyd Bowden II, DO; Lupo Carlton, MD, Dipl. Ac.; Shin Lin, PhD; and Herman Taylor Jr., MD, MPH, FACC, FAHA.
An American DC in Bangkok
San Francisco chiropractor, Dr. Alireza Bagherian recently returned from Bangkok, Thailand, where he assisted Team USA in winning one silver and two bronze medals at the World MuayThai Festival. Dr. Bagherian served as team doctor for the U.S. competitors, working ringside and providing a variety of services including taping, bracing and attending to acute/subacute musculoskeletal injuries.
The World MuayThai Festival featured international representation - more than 100 teams, each with approximately 15-20 athletes, competed in the event. The festival was organized to showcase Muay Thai as a sport, as well as to commemorate the king of Thailand's 80th birthday.
Muay Thai is an ancient form of martial arts; practitioners of the modern form compete in a ring with gloves. Muay Thai is known as "The Art of the Eight Limbs" because competitors can strike their opponent with the hands, shins, elbows and knees, as opposed to traditional Western boxing, which utilizes only two limbs (hands) and kickboxing, which utilizes four limbs (hands, feet).
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?
