The phrase essential services has been a buzzword during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Essential services / businesses have stayed open, or at least are permitted to do so: grocery / convenience stores, gas stations, banks, hardware stores, and so on.
We've also seen the list of essential health care providers referenced repeatedly: medical doctors, nurses, dentists, etc.– without mention of doctors of chiropractic. However, a March 28, 2020 memorandum from the Department of Homeland Security includes DCs on its “essential critical infrastructure workforce” advisory list:
"As the Nation comes together to slow the spread of COVID-19, on March 16th the President issued updated Coronavirus Guidance for America that highlighted the importance of the critical infrastructure workforce.
"The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) executes the Secretary of Homeland Security’s authorities to secure critical infrastructure. Consistent with these authorities, CISA has developed, in collaboration with other federal agencies, State and local governments, and the private sector, an 'Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce' advisory list. This list is intended to help State, local,tribal and territorial officials as they work to protect their communities, while ensuring continuity of functions critical to public health and safety, as well as economic and national security."
Doctors of chiropractic are included on the advisory list under the Healthcare / Public Health section, which "identifies workers who conduct a range of operations and services that are typically essential to continued critical infrastructure viability.":
"Healthcare providers and Caregivers including physicians, dentists, psychologists, mid-level practitioners, nurses and assistants, infection control and quality assurance personnel, pharmacists, physical and occupational therapists and assistants, social workers, optometrists, speech pathologists, chiropractors, and diagnostic and therapeutic technicians and technologists." [Our italics added]
To read the entire Department of Homeland Security click here.
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?
