The Advocate Update Report --  July 2004
by Dr. Matthew McCoy, Chair – WCA Chiropractic Advocacy Council

Advertising Claims

There are only a limited number of ways in which you end up having to justify your advertising to your state board. In all of the cases where I have served as an expert defending a chiropractor for cases like these it usually boils down to either a primary board complaint i.e. someone on the board itself saw your ad and has concerns or a fellow chiropractor down the street saw it and has concerns.

The nature of these types of complaints usually revolve around making “unsubstantiated” claims and typically involve promising a cure of some sort. Stating in an ad for example that you can “correct scoliosis” is an invitation for an investigation. Yes, I know you have hundreds of pre and post x-rays of reduced curvatures – great, then publish them. Because unless you can point to literature to back up your claim no one is going to listen.

Many of these types of complaints that I have been involved in have to do with the chiropractor making claims that the general public and even the average chiropractor may not be aware of. For example stating: “chiropractic improves immune function” or chiropractic “increases human potential.”  While I agree that chiropractic may do those things you need to be prepared to provide the literature that substantiates such claims because the Board certainly will.

When you run an ad make sure you have critically reviewed any claims you are making and that there is evidence to support the claim and that you have the actual literature. Telling the Board that a friend of yours told you about it is not going to cut it.

As always I look forward to your feedback, comments and suggestions.

Dr. Matthew McCoy, Chair – WCA Council on Chiropractic Advocacy