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.
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?
Some pundits say that the upcoming presidential and congressional races, and many local races, might be the most consequential in our country’s history. We do not have the choice of sitting on the sidelines and hoping our patients will carry our water. Unlike other medical professions such as physical therapists, podiatrists, nurses, etc., the health care class (AMA) will not protect us. We must be in the game.
The most common condition affecting the shoulder is rotator-cuff disease. From acute tears to chronic tendinopathy, it’s common and needs a thorough workup. In fact, even asymptomatic shoulders can have full-thickness rotator-cuff rears in up to 40% of instances. Let’s look at additional conditions that can present to the office with weakness, loss of motion and pain in the shoulder beyond rotator-cuff tears.
