U.S. Comptroller Appoints Chiropractor to Chair PCORI
Dynamic Chiropractic Staff
Christine Goertz, DC, PhD, has been appointed by the Comptroller of the United States to a three-year term as chair of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute's Board of Governors. The PCORI is the largest public research funder focusing primarily on clinical effectiveness research, and has "funded hundreds of studies that compare healthcare options to learn which works best, given patients' circumstances and preferences."
Dr. Goertz has served on the board in various capacities since the institute launched in 2010. The board includes 21 representatives of the patient, general consumer, clinical, insurance, research, employer, industry, policy and other health care sectors.
The PCORI is an independent, nonprofit, nongovernmental entity authorized as part of the 2010 Affordable Care Act to, according to the institute, "close the gap" that currently exists between the questions clinicians and their patients have when it comes to health care – and the research that can provide them with answers.
Dr. Goertz's distinguished career in chiropractic and health care includes service as vice chancellor of research and health policy at Palmer College of Chiropractic and as a program official at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health at the National Institutes of Health.
A historic meeting between chiropractic and Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) leadership took place on March 10th, 2026, in Washington, D.C., featuring representatives from chiropractic national organizations, professional associations and policy principals. The collective goal: advancing the role of chiropractic in improving the health of Americans. Meeting participants focused on long-standing issues that have affected the chiropractic profession for decades, including access to care, reimbursement parity, and ensuring DCs have an appropriate role in national health policy discussions.
Radicular-like pain of the upper and lower extremities is among the most common presentations in musculoskeletal and spine-related practice. Traditionally, these symptoms are interpreted through a disc-centric and dermatomal framework, often leading clinicians to attribute limb pain, paresthesia or perceived weakness to spinal nerve-root pathology. While this approach is appropriate in cases of true radiculopathy, it frequently falls short when symptoms fail to follow consistent dermatomal patterns or correlate poorly with imaging findings.
A 46-year-old male presented to our clinic with a seven-year history of recurrent low back pain with sciatica. He reported stiffness and discomfort that worsened with prolonged sitting both at his desk job and during evening television time. The patient had seen multiple chiropractors over the years. In every case, spinal manipulation and other passive treatments would bring gradual symptom relief over 2-3 months. However, within another 3-6 months, the symptoms would return. Frustrated – and now considering a spinal injection and possibly surgery if that failed, he came to our office seeking a different approach.
