June 30, 2021 will mark the last day as president of Palmer Chiropractic College West for Dr. William Meeker. The longtime Palmer administrator and 1982 Palmer West graduate has spent his entire professional career affiliated with the Palmer university system, first as vice president for research and director of the Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research at Palmer's main campus in Davenport, Iowa for more than a decade; then as president of his alma mater in San Jose, Calif., since 2007.
"I'm very proud to have been a member of Palmer's academic community for my entire professional career," said Dr. Meeker in a Palmer College press release announcing his retirement. "My association with Palmer has energized my passions and provided me many pathways to serve the chiropractic profession.
"Particularly important to me was being given the opportunity to establish and lead the Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research, and thereby enhance its significant role in the development of the science of chiropractic."
Dr. Meeker's involvement in chiropractic and health care transcends his career at Palmer; during his tenure at the college, he has served as vice chair of the Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC); and as a member of both the National Advisory Council of NIH's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and the Governing Council of the American Public Health Association.
Currently, he chairs the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine, and serves on the boards of both World Spine Care and the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress. He also serves on the editorial boards of the Spine Journal, the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Explore, and the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, among others.
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?
