The recent reporting on the activities of the CCE and the publication of specific language included in the new standards has generated some interesting e-mail from ICA In Action readers. Here are a few:
A concerned chiropractor wrote:
Just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate all this information of the horrible attempt to change Chiropractic via the CCE. I am the daughter of a Chiropractor and I am a Chiropractor in practice with my husband (a Chiropractor) and the mother of two small children who are under Chiropractic care.
I've always known that I could never know how I would be without Chiropractic care, I've been adjusted since birth. I know that I am the healthiest person I know and I've never gotten adjusted for neck pain, back pain or headaches.
I've never been vaccinated or taken a medication, I've had two babies at home without drugs or medical intervention. I've been to an MD three times in my life - one dermatologist for what turned out to be rubella. Rubella for me was a skin rash with little to no other symptoms - amazing I know, but it was reported to the local heath dept, which instructed me to self quarantine for 7 days. I believe I faired so well because I have an amazingly well functioning body. The other two were ER visits.
To be honest I don't know who or what I'd be if subluxation was erased from the lexicon of Chiropractic. The negative few cannot be allowed to outway the positive many. If these psuedo MD/DO's want to do that great!, but don't do it under the guise of Chiropractic because its not and I am a Chiropractor who tells the truth (the body has an innate wisdom and ability to heal when there is no interference) and sees people's lives change everyday.
Thank you again,
Dr. Jennifer ID
Editor's Response:
Dear Doctor: Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. The ICA believes that while there is a wide range of practice styles in the "mainstream" of chiropractic practice, the focus on the adjustment to normalize the nervous system by correcting the subluxation is still the foundational concept and a fundamental "tenet" of the practice of chiropractic. The concept that the practice of chiropractic is "without the use of drugs or surgery" is universally expressed in almost all regulatory jurisdictions world-wide with very few exceptions. Although the debate continues regarding the role of the educational standards with respect to scope of practice, the list of concerned chiropractors and organizations continues to grow.
Another concerned chiropractor wrote:
Are we really surprised at all of this? We are witnessing the absorbtion of the Chiropractic profession into mainstream Allopathic thought. It will not be long before, with enough disinformation, that mainstream chiropractors will be marginalized and demonized by those who wish to profit from abandoning our current practice model and philosophy to a medical bent and elimination of any philosophical ties to the original chiropractic idea. It is obvious that through the back door, the drug companies have finally realized that they can tap into a whole new group of salesmen in the form of chiropractic physicians who would be just that, physicians. When my age group retires or moves on, there will be nothing stopping the move. What can we do? It is very hard to compete with the "instant fix" which so many Americans demand.
Peace,
Dr. Robert, WA
Editor's Response:
Dear Doctor: Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and concerns. The ICA agrees with your premise that a campaign of mis-information has been used in an attempt to marginalize mainstream chiropractors and to abandon our Foundational Tenets in favor of a more medical orientation. The ICA, however, has not found any evidence that drug companies have any involvement in the move to introduce prescription drug rights. The ICA believes, however, that with the active involvement of more mainstream chiropractors, our profession can be integrated more fully into the healthcare system without the need to sacrifice our core principles. The ICA is also encouraged that many of the more recent graduates share your concerns and are willing to step up and stand up for chiropractic. ( see next e-mail )
Another concerned chiropractor wrote:
Dear Dr. Welsh-
Thanks for the time and energy you're putting into these updates. I was a secretary for four years for a large non-profit representing about 60K people and was never acknowledged for my service - so in addition to having a Dad who taught good manners I am sensitive to how much work these take.
I must preface my comments by noting that I started school in 2001, graduated in 2005 and have been in private practice since 2006, graduating at 31 years of age. During school I visited over 100 DCs in practice in preparation for opening shop, and during school I was very politically active with all 4 associations (ACA, ICA and both CA state). Since opening practice I have quit ACA and my state's ACA-affiliated state association. I am philosophically straight and a Gonstead chiropractor but do several kinds of soft tissue therapies, and perhaps once a year do ultrasound or muscle stim. I graduated with about $170,000 in loans. In other words, I had far more life experience than my peers in school, worked hard to ground myself in straight concepts, and have found benefit in a few therapies in practice as a joint with healthy ligaments and muscles will hold the adjustment better and also a medically necessary/billable scenario. These details are germane not only to my comments but to understanding part of why the profession finds itself where it does.
I think both the medipractors and straight chiropractors are minorities. I think most DCs want to help people be healthier, believe in the power of the adjustment, and want to make enough to stay in business (otherwise you can't do the first thing). I do believe that the medipractors are a far smaller group, though they have obviously been successful with working with clear intention, good communication and strategy in a way that the rest of the profession can't pull off, ICA or ACA. I am far more aligned with the straights, am a contributor and follower of IFCO even though I am not a member: since I do modalities and see their value it feels hypocritical to be a member and I feel unwelcome among them.
Whatever the reason, I took to chiropractic, the politics of the profession, and a view that the schools are the place to focus early on - actually while still in school. At that time I thought common ground and unification was the smartest route: in recent years, seeing the aggressiveness of one of the minorities I no longer see that as viable. I think in one way the CCE issue is a huge blessing, as it has really focussed the attention of the straight minority on the schools in a way I haven't seen or heard talked about until now.
The very real reality is that the cost of education and the lack of emphasis on the adjustment in the majority of schools has created a separate profession. Even CCCLA, where I went, was a pretty straight school at the time, with perhaps only Sherman and Life "straighter" - and they didn't even have a set of the Green Books until I talked our alumni association into buying us a set. I was surprised to find that even Palmer Davenport seemed medlcalized when I went there for a Gonstead seminar my last year in school. Since the medical parts of our education are essential for PCP status and are mandated by CCE, the only area to sacrifice are philosophy and adjusting, unless a school is brave enough to try a 6-year program that no one will attend.
As I went through school I was well-exposed to the straight philosophy because I chose to keep my focus there and participate in a way that kept my head in that game. The curriculum provides little, and I can easily imagine there were many classmates who got this message: "Chiropractic was started by a magnetic healer who made some shit up and stumbled out of pure luck into this thing by performing an adjustment on neurology that couldn't have related to the cure he claimed. His followers went to jail for decades. Now we are PCPs." Oh, yeah, and you're going to have $150K in loans, no way to get a loan to open your practice and peers who will take 50% of your earnings. No wonder so many of us fail. Even young people inspired by true, straight chiropractic are being inspired by guys who graduated 30 years ago with little to no loans and have had three decades to build a practice. They don't see the circumstances at the end of the tunnel, and are freaked out once they get there.
Don't get me wrong, I am not a bitter person, at least not for myself: I am bitter about the future of our profession. I worked hard during school to prepare for practice, with an "ideal scene" document I revised weekly describing the practice I envisioned, daily club practice, visiting all those doctors, taking out extra loans so I could go to straight seminars, and emailing with practicing DCs in every state I thought I might move to asking questions about practice there. I am doing really, really well in practice, though not as well financially as some of the other DCs in my town. I brought in about $75k last year while the 4 new DCs who opened in my town all went under or went away.
I love this profession madly, and fight for it vigorously. I talk to my patients all the time about the power of chiropractic, and when doing soft-tissue work always say, "Ok, now that the important part is done, let's do a little physical therapy." I have made several attempts to get active in associations and they have always failed, due mostly to lousy communication. My personal view is that until someone on the straight side of things concocts a plan equal in comprehensiveness and power-placement, and enough chiropractors step forward to achieve it, things will keep going where they are currently headed.
I appreciate your ear, and hope this was in some way helpful or useful.
With blessings and gratitude,
Dr. Matthew, PA
Editor's Response:
Dear Doctor:
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and concerns. The ICA agrees with your assessment that those that are promoting the abandonment of the subluxation in favor of a medical model of practice are a small minority. They have, however, been well organized and have been able to advance their agenda with little resistance. The CCE crisis may very well be a blessing in disguise. It certainly has awakened the silent majority of mainstream chiropractors across the spectrum of practice styles in both national associations. The ICA is recommending that all concerned chiropractors express their concerns through their respective state and national associations, alumni associations, technique associations, and solicit formal endorsements of the following consensus statements:
1) Vertebral subluxation detection and reduction in both symptomatic and a-symptomatic patients must be included in the Standards.
2) Chiropractic must be defined as "without drugs and surgery" in the Standards as the essential element in a curriculum leading to the Doctor of Chiropractic degree.
3) Governance must be reformed to include:
A. Mechanisms for Councilor appointment/election that eliminate the current self-sustaining and perpetuating nature of the Council and broaden the base of participation in the elections process.
B. Reforms in the current election processes and procedures to allow for greater autonomy in nomination and voting.
C. An expansion of the Academy of site team members and the opportunity for the program being reviewed to select one person from the Academy as a site team member visiting the institution.
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