In Remembrance: A Moment of Silence for Robin McKenzie (1931-2013)
Robin McKenzie, founder of the McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnostics and Therapy, passed away on May 13, 2013, at his New Zealand home following a battle with cancer. A world-renowned physiotherapist who authored six books and numerous journal articles, McKenzie "devoted his professional life to the study of musculoskeletal disorders and their treatment," according to a tribute article on the McKenzie Institute International's site following his passing.
Birthed in the 1950s and developed over the course of five decades, the McKenzie Method is now practiced worldwide, including by many doctors of chiropractic. It is taught within chiropractic colleges and at the postgraduate level.
Commenting on his passing, David Chapman-Smith, secretary-general of the World Federation of Chiropractic, noted: "Originally a critic of chiropractic, [McKenzie] grew to be generous and fair. When Dr. Murray Katz of Canada tried to work with PTs to establish a new profession of 'orthopractors' to replace chiropractors in the late 1980s, McKenzie wrote a powerful open letter exposing this as a witch hunt against chiropractic – which was responsible for this movement losing momentum and failing."
When it came to the spine, McKenzie was indeed aligned with chiropractic in his belief in the magnitude of spinal problems and the body's innate ability to heal itself. Consider this quote, taken again from the tribute on the McKenzie website:
"The disabling and recurrent disorders that affect the spine can produce disability and mental anguish in all who experience the problem ... We must realise that after injury, the body will repair itself. Physicians and therapists do not have 'magic fingers,' we do not accelerate healing, but we can create the best climate for successful repair and, following repair, we can assist greatly in the recovery of function. Undisturbed healing must be followed by the recovery of function and fitness. These principles are basic and surely offer the most likely solution to the problems caused by the recurring low back disorder."
To learn more about Robin McKenzie and the McKenzie Method, visit www.mckenziemdt.org.
DC Re-Elected to Co-Chair AMA Code Review Board
Dr. Anthony Hamm was recently re-elected co-chair of the American Medical Association's Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC) Health Care Professionals Advisory Committee Review Board (HCPAC) for a two-year term beginning in October 2013. Dr. Hamm was the first DC elected to co-chair the board in 2011. The RUC makes annual recommendations on relative values for CPT codes and performs five-year reviews of the Resource-Based Relative Value Scale, the scale that helps determine annual Medicare provider payments.
In a Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP) press release congratulating him on his re-election to the AMA board, Dr. Hamm commented: "I am pleased to be given the opportunity to serve a second term as co-chair of the AMA HCPAC review board. The RUC committee allows for fair and accurate valuation of all physician services, and serves as a voice in shaping Medicare relative values. I am proud to represent the chiropractic profession and make thoughtful contributions on its behalf."
A graduate of National College of Chiropractic, Dr. Hamm currently directs a private chiropractic practice in Goldsboro, N.C. In addition to his continuing role on the AMA review board, he chairs the American Chiropractic Association's Coding and Reimbursement Committee.
The World Federation of Chiropractic's 12th Biennial Congress was held April 8-13, 2013 at the International Convention Center in Durban, South Africa. More than 750 WFC delegates representing 42 countries attended the event, which celebrated the silver anniversary of the federation, formed in 1988. Special celebrations and events marking the silver anniversary included:
The congress also featured the creation of a regional organization to represent the profession in Africa, the only world region without a regional voice. The African Chiropractic Federation was formed by delegates from 13 African nations and will hold its first seminar meeting in 2014.
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?
