As we celebrate our 25th anniversary as the definitive news and information source for the chiropractic profession, we look back at the important events as reported in DC since 1983, while also looking forward to the future. Throughout 2008, we will feature a review of the top headlines in chiropractic for a given year, along with an article on the future of chiropractic authored by an influential member of the profession.
January 2001: WFC Meeting Yields International Consensus
Leaders from 34 chiropractic schools worldwide met Nov. 10-13, 2000 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. at the World Federation of Chiropractic's "Philosophy in Chiropractic Education" conference. Impressively, they reached a consensus on many key aspects concerning education and philosophy in chiropractic education and practice.
The WFC called the meeting, co-sponsored by the Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC) and the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners, to seek consensus on the core beliefs and basic tenets of the philosophy of chiropractic, and how to teach them to chiropractic students.
"Discord in our philosophical base," said WFC President Dr. Bruce Vaughan, as he opened the meeting, "underlies the discord in clinical approaches and political organization in the profession" and must be resolved.
Delegations from all 17 North American colleges were joined by representatives from schools in 11 other countries - Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom. Others present represented proposed schools in Costa Rica and Mexico, accrediting agencies, examining boards and licensing authorities. Leaders of professional associations addressing the meeting included Drs. Jim Mertz, ACA president; Sid Williams, ICA past president; Tim St. Denis, president, Canadian Chiropractic Association; Laurie Tassell, president, Chiropractors' Association of Australia; and Michael van den Bos, president, Chiropractors' Association of South Africa.
February 2001: WFC to Adopt ACC Position Papers?
The 6th Biennial Chiropractic Congress in Paris, May 21-26, 2001, could be the venue for an important moment in recent chiropractic history. At this event, representatives of more than 60 national chiropractic associations will consider the adoption of two position papers developed by the Association of Chiropractic Colleges: the ACC Chiropractic Paradigm and the ACC Chiropractic Scope and Practice.
Adoption of the ACC position papers has been requested by the American Chiropractic Association and the International Chiropractors Association. The ACC Chiropractic Paradigm was developed in July 1996; the ACC Chiropractic Scope and Practice position paper was published in February 1997. The ACC developed the position papers to define chiropractic's role in health care for the North American chiropractic colleges, which in turn would promote a more unified approach to education and practice.
The ICA and ACA are seeking to work on cooperative goals for the chiropractic profession. This union is being facilitated by the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations. At the COCSA Leadership Conference in St Louis, May 2000, attended by representatives of all the major chiropractic organizations in North America, including the ACA and ICA, the ACC Chiropractic Paradigm was accepted by representatives of all organizations as an appropriate, unifying vision of chiropractic in the United States. That position was subsequently ratified by the board of directors of the ACA and ICA.
March 2001: Duke University Headache Report Finally Released
In 1996, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research was scheduled to produce a set of clinical practice guidelines on available treatment alternatives for headache, in much the same way the agency had previously done with its historic clinical guidelines, Acute Low Back Problems in Adults, released in December 1994.
This headache project was based on the systematic evaluation of the literature by a multidisciplinary panel of experts. Due to largely political circumstances, however, their efforts never came to fruition. The work was never released as guidelines, but was instead transformed with modifications and budget cuts into a set of evidence reports on only migraine headache by the staff at the Center for Clinical Health Policy Research at Duke University.
The Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research (FCER) is proud to announce that with its efforts and funding from the National Chiropractic Mutual Insurance Company, evidence reports have now been updated on both cervicogenic and tension-type headaches. This new report, Evidence Report: Behavioral and Physical Treatments for Tension-type and Cervicogenic Headache, is now available exclusively from the FCER.
The report essentially updates and releases much of the information on treatment alternatives for tension and cervicogenic headache that had been suppressed earlier. For documenting both the quality and strength of research findings pertaining to chiropractic and headache, this report represents an invaluable addition to both your library and clinical practice. It does so from the point of view of an impartial government agency - the objectivity and credibility of which would be expected to have the greatest public impact.
Even though further research is desirable and mandatory, this report clearly positions chiropractic as a viable treatment alternative that lacks the detrimental and sometimes fatal side effects of conventional treatment options for managing tension and cervicogenic headache patients. Compared to other physical treatment methods (including physiotherapy, acupuncture, and electrical stimulation), the evidence supporting chiropractic appears to be more robust. Consequently, this report is an invaluable resource for documenting chiropractic practice to practitioners in other health care professions, the public and third-party payers.
October 2001: First Chiropractic Program in Spanish Within a University System
By Enrique Benet-Canut, DC
I want to inform you that on Monday, Sept. 3, we introduced chiropractic education in Mexico at the Universidad Estatal del Valle de Ecatepec (UEVE). It was a truly special moment, with the 85 students of the first class and all the professors present. There was an official inauguration done by Undersecretary of Superior Education Agustin Gasca-Pliego; the governor of the state of Mexico, Arturo Montiel-Rojas; and Dr. Ismael-Saenz-Villa, first rector of the university.
UEVE begins with two career programs in chiropractic and acupuncture. The chiropractic program is an official program of the Ministry of Education. On Nov. 22, 2000, there was an agreement signed between Secretary of Education Tomas Ruíz and the Colegio de Profesionistas Científico-Quiroprácticos de México, A.C., represented by myself.
The chiropractic program consists of 12 trimesters and 5,900 hours, more hours than chiropractic programs in the U.S. (The acupuncture program also is a 12-trimester program.) This was done to meet the requirements of the Ministry of Education. We used as our basis the program at Northwestern Health Sciences University and added two more trimesters to incorporate sports chiropractic and expand the areas of nutrition and imaging.
The students can enter the chiropractic program after they have finished their bachillerato, which is equivalent to two years of college. The students will come out with the equivalent of a DC degree, which is called licenciatura. Licenciaturas are given to those in the fields of medicine, dentistry and law. The program will include a large clinic, programs of social service, cooperation with the other health sciences, and research. The students will have to write a thesis for graduation, with their own project of investigation.
It has been a long road to accomplish this program, and was one of the main objectives when we founded the Sociedad Cientifico-Quiropráctica de Mexico, A.C., in 1984, the Colegio in 1988, and the Federación Mexicana de Quiropráctica Deportiva, A.C., in 1988.
December 2001: WHO Collaborating With New Task Force on Neck Pain
It is estimated that neck pain and its associated disorders disable 5 percent of the population, and that between 10 percent and 20 percent of the population experiences persistent or chronic neck pain. The current research literature shows little about the most effective methods of dealing with this important problem, even though the cost of neck pain in North America totals billions of dollars each year and is rapidly increasing.
In 1995, the Quebec Task Force on Whiplash Associated Disorders released the first systematic review of the literature on whiplash. This work represents a baseline of the information on this issue. Since then, new scientific studies have been published requiring a new task force to continue and extend the work. This new task force will be working with the World Health Organization's Collaborative Center for Neurotrauma at Karolinska Institute in Sweden. The task force will address several factors to establish the most effective and cost effective manner of treating neck pain and the factors that motivate patients to choose a particular form of care.
The task force will attempt to answer each of these questions as they pertain to neck pain and associated disorders, especially arm pain and headaches, based on original research and a review of the scientific literature. The task force consists of authorities from around the world, representing multiple clinical and research disciplines, who have the ability to assess the results of this scientific investigation and literature review and develop a comprehensive set of guidelines or recommendations to be used by clinicians and government and private insurers. The ultimate goal is to improve the effectiveness and reduce the costs of treating patients who present with neck pain.
The majority of the funding for the task force will be provided by NCMIC and the Canadian Chiropractic Protective Association, with additional funding by a number of corporations form Brazil, Canada, Sweden and the U.S.
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?
