February 2007

Living your principles ... or mouthing the words?

by Dr. Terry A. Rondberg

As soon as we finished celebrating the New Year, we at the World Chiropractic Alliance took time to review the goals we've accomplished last year, and chart our course for the coming months.

I'm pleased to report that 2006 was a banner year for the advancement of chiropractic. We made tremendous progress in several key areas and are building up a powerful positive momentum.

When we look back at 2006, it's easy to be discouraged by the problems we faced, such as increased attacks against our profession by those who hope to discredit and destroy us through false advertising and misinformation, as well as disruption from within by factions who want us to disavow our roots and principles by positioning ourselves as "medical" therapists.

But what's more important to focus on is what we, as a profession, did to address those problems. The WCA is proud that, in 2006, we worked hard on a number of vital issues, including:

***  Board Accountability. In several states, particularly California, we have placed pressure on licensing boards to stop harassing subluxation‑based chiropractors. The WCA aimed the spotlight on abuse of power and discrimination. We lobbied for the removal of those government officials that have secret personal agendas and conflicts of interest. We launched major investigations into corruption within state boards. The World Chiropractic Alliance also filed complaints and helped individual field doctors fight unfair persecution. We have assisted like‑minded subluxation‑centered doctors to be appointed to licensing boards. Most of all, we have made it clear that we are going to be watching board and staff members so they can no longer get away with "open hunting season" on traditional chiropractors.

***  Promoting Research. Preliminary findings from the breakthrough research presently being performed by RCS (Research & Clinical Science) is establishing, for the first time, that people who receive chiropractic care rank over 25 % higher in overall "wellness" scores than those who have never been adjusted. This is not about less back pain ‑‑ but relates to overall wellness, including physical, emotional/mental, stress and life enjoyment factors. Supported and endorsed by the World Chiropractic Alliance, RCS is ambitiously compiling the most impressive set of data ever collected on chiropractic. With research like this to validate subluxation correction, it will be virtually impossible for our critics to shrug us off as "unscientific."

***  Strategic Planning and Action. This past November, a select group of individuals from across this country and other parts of the world who are dedicated to protecting and advancing subluxation‑centered chiropractic met in Portland, Oregon in order to develop a detailed strategic long term plan for our profession. We all want the same thing but we have tended in the past to stumble over ourselves and even get in each other's way. Hence, it was determined that we needed a unified and viable plan to identify exactly what has to be done and then go out and DO IT. While this effort ‑‑ now called "Advancing Chiropractic: The Portland Project" ‑‑ is for individual chiropractic leaders rather than organizations, many WCA members are involved and the WCA provided funding for this summit and for the ongoing work that needs to be performed. The Chiropractic Journal will carry a full report of this new group and its efforts in the next issue.

***  Defending chiropractic. Whenever someone takes a potshot at subluxation‑centered chiropractic, the World Chiropractic Alliance strikes back hard and fast. In 2006, aggressive counterattacks let it be known we're not fearful little victims who avoid a good fight when we know we're on the right side. Whether the attack came in the form of a billboard that implied chiropractic causes strokes or the CCGPP's efforts to push its medically oriented "Mercy 2" guidelines on the profession, the WCA acted quickly and decisively, using legal action, public relations, or professional communication tools to accomplish our goals.

Now, my colleagues, we have to build on this momentum and set our sights on issues that are important to all of us. There is much work yet to be done, such as:

...  Preventing the CCE and FCLB from making subluxation‑centered topics ineligible for continuing education credit through PACE.

...  Stopping our boards from including PT and other non‑chiropractic elements as MANDATORY requirements for licensure.

...  Continuing to place pressure on state boards to ensure that they are accountable to the entire profession, not just pawns used by the "chiropractic medicine" camp to oppress subluxation‑based doctors.

...  Countering attacks by entities that spread misinformation about chiropractic to the public (the National Association of Chiropractic Medicine and Quackbusters have been two prime offenders).

...  Forcing companies like ACN and ASHN to end their practice of systematically discriminating against traditional chiropractic.

...  Reforming the Medicare system and helping to prevent policies that can lead to unwarranted criminal audits of DCs based merely on the government's arbitrary decision that anything more than 10‑12 visits is health care fraud!

...  Changing the law so DCs can opt out of Medicare.

...  Lobbying the federal government to commission chiropractors as officers in the Armed Forces.

...  Putting a halt to obsolete and discriminatory guidelines in favor of those that recognize and validate the focus on detecting and correcting vertebral subluxations as clinically meaningful.

...  Working closely with other subluxation‑centered groups to present a unified front against our opponents ‑‑ especially those within our profession!

Why these goals matter ... to you!

As you'll notice, our goals affect doctors in "the real world." These are issues that have a direct impact on you and your practice. These are the actions that will ensure that our children and our children's children will have access to a chiropractor for adjustments to correct their subluxations. They'll protect you against unfair Medicare audits that could lead to federal criminal charges and fines and legal fees of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Without this type of effort, what will stop the CCGPP from forcing its low‑back guidelines down your throat and giving the insurance industry another weapon against you? What will prevent renegade state boards from passing regulations that seek to expand the chiropractic scope to include synthetic drugs?

Right now, we have the momentum to do great things. James Carville, the famous political campaigner, said: "A campaign ‑‑ or any other ongoing, dynamic enterprise ‑‑ is like riding a bike: the more forward momentum you have, the harder it is to knock you over. But if you're just barely moving, or trying to stand still, even the slightest push will make you tumble."

We can't afford to tumble or fall off that bike. We have to be the Lance Armstrong of chiropractic. Those of you who know me personally know that this is how I think, this is how I work and this is how I live my life. Our common objectives are based upon our family, professional and individual beliefs. I, for one, do not intend to bow down to those medical cartels that want to see us on training wheels for the rest of our professional lives.

For a long time, traditional chiropractic has been just barely moving forward and sometimes it's been allowed to descend backwards. Since its establishment, the World Chiropractic Alliance has been committed to changing this paradigm.

Last year, the WCA really started picking up speed in making headway on several fronts. We accomplished more in 2006 than we in the last few decades combined. The results have been huge and ambitious.

To move ahead with these goals and continue to provide the necessary momentum, we need your support.

If you want us to continue building that momentum and accomplishing goals that will help secure the future for you and subluxation‑based chiropractic, visit www.worldchiropracticalliance.org and join the WCA, contribute to the Chiropractic Anti‑Defamation Fund, and donate to the Chiropractors for Wellness PAC.

If you're unwilling to do any of this, ask yourself if you're truly living your principles or just mouthing the words. As they say, if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

This year, your New Year's resolution should be to become part of the solution!