In recent months, it has become obvious that the Mercy Guidelines have failed to win the acceptance of the chiropractic profession. In fact, the document's recent removal from the National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC) has been seen by many as the last nail in its coffin. There is speculation that any "cloned" or revised version of Mercy will meet a similar fate.

During the same time, the Council on Chiropractic Practice (CCP) Clinical Guideline No. 1, "Vertebral Subluxation in Chiropractic Practice," more commonly known as the CCP Guideline, has gained strength and acceptance. It was the first chiropractic guideline to be accepted for inclusion in the government's NGC and has been accepted by courts of law and endorsed by the World Chiropractic Alliance and other chiropractic organizations.

It has been distributed internationally to chiropractors, legislators, governments, and policy makers. "The impact of this work has been profound," stated Christopher Kent, D.C., president of the CCP.

Dr. Kent explained that, to remain in the NGC, a guideline must be reviewed, and if necessary, revised every five years.

"We are approaching our fifth year, and will need to update our guideline," he noted. "This is a major task. We need your help to ensure the future of the CCP guideline process."

According to Kent, the CCP faces an immediate financial challenge.

Funds initially raised for the project were used to ensure that all doctors and interested parties had access to the document. Thousands of copies were mailed throughout the U.S., Canada and other countries. The Guideline is now available online at the World Chiropractic Alliance website.

To help fund the review and revisions, Kent is urging each D.C. to consider a voluntary donation of $100.

Chiropractic Benefit Services (CBS), Chiropractic Leadership Alliance (CLA) and the World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA) immediately pledged their full support. In addition to financial contributions, the WCA donates office space and staff assistance to the CCP.

CBS and CLA both made large financial donations to the effort. CBS is a major chiropractic malpractice insurance program that re-invests a portion of its profits into subluxation-based chiropractic research and other activities. CLA offers a wide range of products and services including Surface EMG Technology, Total Solution boot camp, Celebrity Marketing Program, and the On Purpose audio series.