Darcy Vavrek, ND, MS

Dr. Darcy Vavrek is the program planning chair of the APHA Chiropractic Health Care section and an assistant professor at the University of Western States. Contact her with questions / comments at dvavrek@uws.edu.

Previous Articles

More Than Just Monitoring Outbreaks
January 1, 2015 (Vol. 33, Issue 01)
Trending
News / Profession
MAHA Meets Chiropractic: Historic Meeting in Washington, D.C.
MAHA Meets Chiropractic: Historic Meeting in Washington, D.C.

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.

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Dynamic Chiropractic Staff
Diagnosis & Diagnostic Equip
When Radiculopathy Isn't Radiculopathy: A Clinical Series (Pt. 1)
hen Radiculopathy Isn’t Radiculopathy: A Clinical Series

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.

Ken Kaufman, DC
Chronic / Acute Conditions
Chronic Sciatica: Ending the Relapse Cycle
Chronic Sciatica: Ending the Relapse Cycle

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.

Ronald Feise, DC