The Florida Chiropractic Physician Association (FCPA) incorporated in June 2011 and announced its arrival two months later via e-mail and social media. According to FCPA CEO Roderic Lacy, MD, DC, a 1975 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic, the association gained its first five members in only 15 minutes and more than 1,000 Florida practitioners have become members in less than a year. In addition, "daughter" associations have been established in Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas, with the Arkansas Chiropractic Society as an associated organization.
As a result, a national umbrella organization, the First Chiropractic Physician Association of America (FCPAA) was born, currently boasting approximately 2,000 combined members via its 11 member associations and dedicated to expanding the rights of doctors of chiropractic on a national level.
"Unlike other professional organizations, [we] are solely focused on expanding the practice rights and obligations of chiropractors," said Dr. Lacy. "As such, we are not at odds with any of the other chiropractic professional organizations, and welcome their input. ... The FCPAA is not at odds with the American Chiropractic Association. In fact, the FCPAA supports the ACA. The ACA works hard to confront the challenges associated with CCE, Medicare and other insurance providers, while the FCPAA is focused on rewriting the restrictive state laws throughout the U.S."
While no national event has taken place as of yet, the Florida Chiropractic Physicians Association held its first continuing-education seminar in February in Orlando, Fla., featuring 478 attendees; and a second CE seminar in Orlando Aug. 3-5, achieved similar attendance. A third FCPA seminar is scheduled for February 2013.
"Obviously, this shows that there is a demand for expansion of the DC's rights in Florida and across the country," said Dr. Lacy, who serves as president / CEO of the FCPAA in addition to his duties with the Florida association. "Most DCs want to provide to their patients more than just an adjustment." According to Dr. Lacy, this expansion includes full prescriptive authority.
"In the early days of chiropractic, the Palmer graduates were alternative practitioners to the common medical practice. In some sense, the practice was not really a musculoskeletal practice. It was simply an alternative to the current practice of medicine at that time. As the profession progressed and pressure mounted from other health care professions, chiropractic was pushed into a corner and ultimately retreated to becoming 'back specialists.' Ironically, the educational requirements continued to expand, while the scope of practice continued to shrink. The educational requirements mandated by the Council on Chiropractic Education fulfill all the requirements of a primary care physician, yet, by our own doing, we are not allowed to practice in a scope that is anywhere near our actual training."
"This is not a new idea," Dr. Lacy continued. "The osteopathic profession did it in the early 20th century. The result of their efforts meant prosperity and expansion of their profession. Ultimately, they joined forces with the medical establishment, while maintaining their distinct theories. In return for giving up their own separate hospitals and specialty boards, osteopaths now can practice as they see fit in every state. Osteopathic physicians are also admitted into all of the advanced medical specialty residencies. However, to this day, over 45 percent of the profession elects to practice primary care osteopathic family medicine."
To learn more about the First Chiropractic Physician Association of America and its united state associations, visit http://myfcpaa.org.
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?
