August 2004

see also: The World Chiropractic Alliance Position Paper on Research Policy

WCA issues position paper on research

The Board of Directors of the World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA) recently voted to approve an official position paper on research, which emphasizes the need for ongoing chiropractic research, including case studies.

"The need for scientific research cannot be underemphasized," said WCA President Terry A. Rondberg, DC. "The lack of solid, practice‑based research to validate chiropractic care is the last and most damning criticism made of our profession. All too often, chiropractic is criticized as an 'unscientific' discipline, lacking empirical research to validate the assertion that vertebral subluxations have an adverse affect on the human nervous system and, by extension, on general health and well‑being. To overcome this criticism, it is essential that the chiropractic profession conduct research that will allow for the objective comparison of health outcomes from the widest possible spectrum of the population."

Dr. Rondberg noted that whenever the WCA is called to defend chiropractic, it turns to research findings. In the past few months alone, the WCA has been called to defend the profession against attacks from media, governments and medical opponents, including claims that chiropractic is linked to strokes and laws that prohibit chiropractic for children. In each case, the WCA cited chiropractic research to back up its arguments.

"However, much of that research is dated and in need of updating and expansion," Rondberg stressed. "We cannot continue to rehash old research findings, no matter how impressive."

He also noted that far more research must be aimed at quality‑of‑life issues. In the past, many chiropractic research projects were disease‑oriented, giving evidence of chiropractic's effectiveness in addressing specific health conditions rather than general levels of wellness.

The goal of new research should be to provide objective evidence of technique and practitioner‑specific efficacy and a uniform chiropractic care evaluation and reporting system. It should also help to quantify the nature and degree of subluxation in patients and provide comparative analysis of technique and practitioner results.

The goal of the WCA position paper is to set forth the organization's policy on research and to stimulate profession‑wide discussion about the need for scientific research.

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