Imagine that you're hit with a board complaint or a lawsuit, accusing you of failure to provide a medical diagnosis and document the patient's symptoms in your records -- even though you're a subluxation-based chiropractor.

Or, that your local newspaper does a "hit piece" on chiropractic and suddenly your patients are afraid their adjustments will cause a stroke.

Or, an insurance company uses an IME to cut your claims and cites the Mercy guidelines as their justification.

Sooner or later, it happens to all of us. And when it does, the time, effort and money required to defend yourself can seriously disrupt your practice.

At times like these, it's great to have an advocate on your side who can compile all the information you need, arrange for witnesses in your defense, and present the documents in a manner clear enough and professional enough to help clear you -- while you continue to maintain your practice without breaking your stride.

Where do you find such an advocate? In the World Chiropractic Alliance's new "Chiropractic Advocacy Council."

Headed by Matthew McCoy, D.C., this Council will help you locate WCA resources that can allow you to defend yourself in court or before a board, respond to media attacks, and combat discrimination by regulator agencies, HMOs, insurance companies, state chiropractic organizations, and other groups.

The WCA started this unique council because we receive numerous calls every month from doctors around the world who need help and have nowhere to turn.

Recently, for instance, we were asked to assist two doctors who were being censured by their boards -- one for providing care to asymptomatic patients and the other for using a telephone survey to find out more about community attitudes toward chiropractic.

We have also fielded requests for information on the controversial stroke issue, the acceptance of the CCP Guidelines by the chiropractic profession, the need for national legislation governing chiropractic, and many other topics.

In cases dealing with issues of importance to the profession, the WCA sometimes responds by taking direct action, such as developing new position papers, writing letters, publishing articles in our print or electronic publications, or even giving testimony at hearings.

Often, however, the information needed is already available on the Internet -- in the form of WCA position papers, CBS malpractice reports, The Chiropractic Journal and Health Watch articles, as well as copies of resolutions and other material.

These resources are available free of charge to all doctors -- whether or not they're members of the WCA. By simply printing out some of these documents, many doctors have been able to stand up to boards, judges, juries, insurance companies and reporters and successfully defend their positions. This is just one of the many services we believe that we, as a chiropractic organization, can and should offer to help protect and promote D.C.s everywhere.

Yet, we also realize many doctors would prefer not to have to spend time scouring our extensive websites to find all the pertinent information on a particular issue. Or, they may need additional help not available through web resources, like personalized research, document preparation, or even testimony from an expert chiropractic witness.

That's where the Chiropractic Advocacy Council comes in. If you have a problem you don't want to face alone, you'll have three ways to get help.

First, you can access the WCA website's Chiropractic Advocacy Council page, which will list critical issues in chiropractic and provide links to position papers, articles and other resources. The page will also provide instructions on how best to search for and access additional information.

For example, if you want to put together a packet of information on chiropractic and stroke for your patients or the local newspaper, you can go to the Council page and check under STROKE. You'll be able to follow the links to a variety of resources -- including medical studies and news articles -- that can be downloaded and/or printed.

Or, if you have to go to court to defend yourself against a charge of malpractice because you didn't adhere to the Mercy guidelines, you can check under GUIDELINES to find extensive information on the flaws inherent in the Mercy document, and the reliability and acceptance of the CCP Guidelines.

If you can't find the information you need online, you can contact Dr. McCoy by e-mail at advocate@worldchiropracticalliance.org and explain to him your situation and what you need. If the WCA has the information available, he may be able to direct you to where to find it. In certain cases, he may bring the matter to the WCA Board of Directors to see what additional support the organization can provide, such as developing position papers, writing letters, or taking other steps to assist you.

Keep in mind, however, that the WCA takes action on issues, not individual cases. Nor can we provide legal advice (although we can often refer you to an attorney familiar with chiropractic matters).

Finally, if after going these routes you find that you need still more aid, you can arrange for a wide variety of fee-based services to assist you with your individual situation. Using his extensive knowledge of chiropractic and network of chiropractic experts, Dr. McCoy will be able to evaluate your case and bring together the information and contacts that will be of most help.

This can include everything from assembling case histories validating the damaging effects of subluxation, to appearing as an expert witness in court. He may, depending on your case, arrange for special services or consultations from other chiropractic experts as well.

These fee-based services will relieve you of the burden of doing the "legwork" you need to face a board, jury, insurance company or opponent with confidence. Dr. McCoy will provide complete information on what additional services he can provide and the costs of those services.

And, if you ask me, there isn't a better person to have as your advocate than Dr. Matt McCoy. His credentials are impeccable. As one of the founding members of the Council on Chiropractic Practice (CCP), he has been instrumental in the development of the most widely accepted set of chiropractic guidelines. He's also editor of the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research and has extensive practice, research and educational experience.

He gained international acclaim when he helped introduce chiropractic to the Russian medical community by developing a chiropractic spine treatment, teaching & research center in Vladivostok, Russia.

His post graduate training covers Applied Chiropractic Sciences, spinal adjusting technique, spinal trauma, treatment rehabilitation, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Electroneurodiagnostics, Spinal Outcome Assessment, and Impairment Rating. He's a Certified Independent Medical Examiner and a Candidate for Diplomate Status in Applied Chiropractic Science through the International Chiropractors Association.

Can you imagine having him appear on your behalf for a board dispute or lawsuit? Or having him put together a complete information packet concerning the stroke issue so you can properly educate your patients and keep them from leaving out of media-induced fear? Or, tracking down specific case law or medical research reports (often hard to access) that can validate your decision to provide care for children or asymptomatic patients?

With the World Chiropractic Alliance Chiropractic Advocacy Council -- and Dr. McCoy -- on your side, you won't be left facing these problems alone.

Log on to the WCA website at www.worldchiropracticalliance.org, go to the Advocacy Council page, and see for yourself why the World Chiropractic Alliance has gained a reputation as the most helpful and supportive chiropractic organization in the profession.