Dr. Veronica Gutierrez, a board member of the World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA), has been chosen as the only doctor of chiropractic to serve on the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Formed by President Clinton, the Commission was originally limited to 15 members. When the appointments were announced in July, many observers were shocked that no doctors of chiropractic had been chosen. Chiropractic is the largest and most popular non-medical health care field in the world, with more than 60,000 doctors worldwide. An estimated 27 million Americans visit chiropractors each year.

After the WCA contacted government officials about the oversight, the President increased the membership of the Commission, naming Gutierrez and three additional members.

Gutierrez practices in Washington state and serves as chair of the World Chiropractic Alliance Women's Health Council. She is also a founding member of the Council on Chiropractic Practice which developed the only evidence-based chiropractic guidelines specifically relating to subluxation correction.

The White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine is charged with making recommendations on how public policy can maximize the benefits to the public of complementary and alternative medicine. The recommendations will relate to education, research, information dissemination, and appropriate access to and delivery of non-medical health care.

"This is the most important government appointment ever given to a doctor of chiropractic and we are extremely proud of Dr. Gutierrez for this remarkable achievement," stated Terry A. Rondberg, D.C., World Chiropractic Alliance president. "I am also proud that the WCA was able to act quickly to make sure chiropractic was represented on this history-making Commission."

Chiropractic was founded in 1895 with the unique purpose of detecting and correcting vertebral subluxations, misalignments in the spinal bones which can interfere with normal nerve flow. Most doctors of chiropractic continue to uphold this concept and consider themselves non-medical health care providers.