October 2008

A change of season, a season to change

by Dr. Richard Barwell

For those of us living above the 49th parallel, seasonal change had great influence on our lives. As I reflect on this, I realize that not only did it convey a change of clothing and activities, but there was also a change of attitude; a change in perspective of life, I can say. As a young boy, I loved the autumn with its wonderful colors and musty odors. But, as I have grown older spring has now become my favorite season with its promise of new beginning.

I just finished reading an article by Dr. Burl Pettibon, titled, "Elevating the Scientific Potential of Chiropractic: A Complete Paradigm Shift" and find that there is a movement afoot in chiropractic. If you are one of the professionals who have been following my writing and/or presentations you will know that he is not alone in his assessment that change is vital for the future of chiropractic.

Dr. Pettibon discusses the consequences of change throughout the centuries and the price that new leaders often pay when they dare to challenge the status quo. He nicely defines "paradigm" as "a generally accepted concept that explains a complex idea." If one can embrace and understand that a paradigm shift precedes all major positive changes and advancements in science and knowledge, we can also comprehend that a paradigm might be true or false. Ever since the movie "Dead Poet's Society" and the following over-use of the word "paradigm," I do cringe a bit when I hear this word, but it is a really important word and its use here is very applicable.

Dr. Pettitbon continues to talk about the chiropractic paradigm and makes some very important points with regard to our concepts and limitations of subluxation in the light of vertebral displacement, which challenge the simple position of "bone out-bone in" to define chiropractic and the adjustment. Good for you, Dr. Pettibon! Now, in fairness the name "Pettibon" and the challenge of old concepts are not disassociated and once again, "good for you" ... "good on ya" for my Aussie friends.

My experience in 50 years of being involved with chiropractic has left me with a love and respect for the ability of the body to respond through chiropractic care, along with a profound desire to introduce an acceptable (provable and reproducible) understanding of the connection between the adjustment and the neurological response. I agree with Dr. Pettibon's conclusions and statements with regard to the position of our old paradigm in further limiting the growth of chiropractic and the effect that this old position has had on insurance coverage and college education. I have written many articles on this over the past years and they can be seen on the blog page of the new website www.neuroinfiniti.com.

My work over the past decade has been directed at a new paradigm for the profession without sacrificing any of the principles that define chiropractic. New technology and new information from scientific research provide the means to alter the mechanism but not the founding concepts. To ignore the need of our profession to modify its position based on new information is not only dangerous but irresponsible when keeping the best interest of the patient in mind.

At this juncture, I'm challenged to make my point without it becoming a sales pitch, so I ask you to read what follows with a mindset of attaining information that will provide you with an "informed consent" position.

We know that the adjustment gets results. One hundred and thirteen years of results provide us with enough evidence to make that statement. Chiropractic's fundamental paradigm is that the adjustment alters neurological function. The critical question is can we prove that there is a relationship between the adjustment and neurological function. Today, the answer is unequivocally "yes." The challenge is that the old paradigm of bone-on-nerve and vertebral subluxation as cause needs to be replaced with modern concepts and science.

That is the intent and purpose of the NeuroInfiniti instrumentation and neurologically based chiropractic. That is what I have dedicated my love of chiropractic toward for the last 10 years and with this new paradigm and the instrumentation to support this construct, we can now move chiropractic toward greater possibilities. All the instrument does is measure the state of neurological function and then the effectiveness of your care, regardless of your technique to improve that function. Objective, dynamic assessment of neurological function with certified research quality instrumentation. How does it get any better?

It feels, indeed, like spring is in the air with its promise of a new beginning. All you need to do is take a chance and explore the possibilities by visiting www.neuroinfiniti.com. Yes, thanks Dr. Pettibon. You are far from being alone in your quest for better science, knowledge and chiropractic truth!

(Dr. Richard Barwell is the founder and president of the chiropractic Equity Offices, Inc. program, and has more than 30 years of experience in chiropractic practice. After graduating with honors from Canadian Memorial chiropractic College in 1964, he started a family Wellness Practice in British Columbia. He has since established numerous successful practices, won several awards and guest lectured at various chiropractic institutions. Before establishing CEO, Inc. Dr. Barwell was the director of seminars and programs at Quest and executive director of the chiropractic Leadership Alliance.)