A historic announcement and record-breaking attendance: just a few of the highlights from this year's The National by the Florida Chiropractic Association, which boasted more than 4,000 attendees and a 400-booth expo featuring 275 companies. Here's a brief synopsis of what took place in Orlando this year.
Event Highlights
The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP) chose The National to announce (as reported in our October issue) that chiropractic will debut a 30-second television commercial during the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. The commercial will air five times to U.S. viewers as part of the profession's 125th anniversary celebration next year, and is receiving substantial funding from the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners, among other supporters.
Dr. Anthony Lisi addressing thousands of attendees during a keynote panel, "A Military Panel Discus-sion of Chiropractic Treatment for the Veteran: Standard Procedures, Risks and Rewards."
International, national and state chiropractic organizations were well-represented at the event, including the World Federation of Chiropractic, Association of Chiropractic Colleges, American Chiropractic Association, Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards, Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, National Board of Chiropractic Examiners, Florida Board of Chiropractic Medicine and others.
Attendees enjoying the expo and networking in between classes.
The FCA Board of Directors announced its DC of the Year (Dr. Jerry True); CA of the Year (Shelby Phenix); and LMT of the Year (Jane Kordish). Paul Lambert, JD, received the association's Impact Award.
ChiroHealthUSA awarded The Foxworth Family Chiropractic Scholarship in the amount of $15,000 to Robert J. Butler, a student at Palmer College of Chiropractic - West. Palmer West also receives $10,000. This is the largest achievement-based scholarship available to chiropractic students.
Doctors of Chiropractic: Sports Instructors, Drs. Sabrina Atkins, Michael Bagnell, Spencer Baron, Kathleen Baumgardner and Cindy M. Howard, Beth Rizer and Anne Sorrentino, educate attendees on "Integration of Chiropractic in the Athletic Training Room."
Three DC attendees received cash prizes totaling $10,000 at the President's Reception, and there were countless vendor giveaways during the expo including lasers, tables, mattresses and more.
Save the Date
Next year's The National by FCA is right around the corner! Visit www.TheNationalChiro.com for up-to-date information on the Aug. 27-30, 2020 event (once again at the Hyatt Regency Orlando), including scheduled speakers, program details and more.
Building on a historic March 2026 meeting between Make America Healthy Again and chiropractic leadership, MAHA has announced the launch of the MAHA Chiropractic Hub, “a coordinated national partnership uniting MAHA Center, MAHA Action, and the chiropractic profession, including national associations, state organizations, practitioners, educators, researchers, and patient advocates. The Chiropractic Hub will advance federal policy, expand patient access, and build broad public support for chiropractic care across America.”
The chiropractic profession is confronting one of the most significant federal regulatory threats it has faced in decades. A new U.S. Department of Education (ED) accountability framework – commonly referred to as the “Do No Harm” (DNH) regulation – could place many chiropractic programs at risk of losing access to federal financial aid (student loans), potentially reshaping the future of chiropractic education and workforce development across the United States.
Pain has become the dominant language of musculoskeletal healthcare. Numeric pain-rating scales and symptom reports are routinely used as primary indicators of clinical success. But while pain reduction is meaningful, it is an incomplete and often misleading representation of recovery. This has real consequences for patient adherence, long-term outcomes, and how conservative care is perceived within the broader healthcare system.
