Search Results for: vertebral subluxation

State laws, the federal government, international, national and state chiropractic organizations and the Association of Chiropractic Colleges all define the unique and non-duplicative role and responsibility of chiropractic as focusing particular attention on the subluxation and its resultant neurological interference.

The WCA holds that the unique role of the chiropractor is separate from other health disciplines and that the professional practice objective of chiropractors may be limited to the analysis, diagnosis, correction or stabilization of the subluxation.

The use of subluxation as a rationale for care or primary diagnosis is supported by protocols that are safe, efficacious, and valid. The literature is sufficiently supportive of the usefulness of these protocols in regard to chiropractic examination, analysis and diagnosis. In addition, subluxation as a primary diagnosis is consistent with the Council on Chiropractic Practice’s, “Clinical Guideline # 1: Vertebral Subluxation in Chiropractic Practice,” the Chiropractic Paradigm developed by the Association of Chiropractic Colleges, and the practice objective followed by thousands of doctors of chiropractic, as explained on their Terms of Acceptance.

The chiropractor uses a variety of these procedures to assess the vertebral subluxation in order to determine its presence and arrive at an impression of its location, character, type, and chronicity. The correction of subluxation is applicable to any patient exhibiting evidence of its existence regardless of the presence or absence of symptoms and disease. Therefore, the determination of the presence of subluxation may stand as the sole rationale for care.

Nothing in this position statement absolves the chiropractor from knowing the limits of his or her authority and skill, and from determining the safety and appropriateness of chiropractic care.  The chiropractor has a duty to disclose to the patient any unusual findings discovered in the course of examination, and may collaborate with other health professionals when it is in the best interests of the patient to do so.

Dr. Terry Rondberg earned his degree as a Doctor of Chiropractic in St. Louis, Missouri from Logan University in 1974.  Since then, he has been helping and educating others about the body’s innate healing ability and how to achieve the optimum level of wellness.

In 1989, Dr. Rondberg founded the World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA), a non-profit organization with a large international membership, consisting of students and doctors. The WCA is a chiropractic educational and advocacy organization that has helped to introduce chiropractic in developing countries. With Dr. Rondberg as its president, the WCA is the only chiropractic organization to be recognized as a non-governmental organization (NGO) affiliated with the United Nations Department of Public Information. In addition, the WCA has educated other health care professionals about the role of chiropractic as part of complementary alternative medicine.

Under Dr. Rondberg’s leadership, the WCA has collaborated with the World Health Organization (WHO) to create the “WHO Guidelines on Basic Training and Safety in Chiropractic.” During the International Conference of NGOs in South Korea, the WCA sponsored “the Role of Chiropractic Care in Global Wellness,” which was the first and only international NGO chiropractic program.

He also founded and served on the board of directors for the nonprofit Council on Chiropractic Practice, (CCP) which developed the first and oldest accepted scientific evidence-based practice guidelines for the chiropractic profession listed in the National Guideline Clearinghouse by the U.S. Federal Government.

Dr. Rondberg has utilized his leadership skills on Capitol Hill by spearheading lobbying efforts to advance the education and acceptance of chiropractic in the military.   Dr. Rondberg was instrumental in passing legislation to have chiropractic care accepted into the federal law so our veterans could receive the benefits of chiropractic care.

In 2005, Dr. Rondberg’s expertise in the chiropractic profession was honored when he was appointed by Donald Rumsfeld, U.S. Secretary of Defense, as a special employee of the Department of Defense, to serve on the Chiropractic Advisory Committee.

Richard Mayo, deputy director of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense/Health Affairs told Dr. Rondberg, “I believe you will be able to contribute advice and recommendations regarding… chiropractic health care benefits for members of the uniformed services on active duty.”

As an established author, Dr. Rondberg has written several books including, “Under the Influence of Modern Medicine,” “Chiropractic Compassion and Expectation,” “The Evolution of Chiropractic,” “Chiropractic First,” which has sold more than three million copies and his most recent book “Bioenergy Breakthrough.”

For 28 years Dr. Rondberg published The Chiropractic Journal, (TCJ) a newspaper received by every Doctor of Chiropractic in the world.  He also published the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, (JVSR) a scientific peer reviewed journal for over ten years.  He has also written numerous articles on, nutrition and stress, including electrosmog, hydration, meditation, spirituality, and a wellness lifestyle.

But Dr. Rondberg often speaks at health and wellness conferences and has been a guest on many television and radio programs.

Dr. Rondberg is a diplomate of the College of Energy Medicine and a diplomate of the College of Mind-Body Medicine. He is a certified massage therapist. He earned a black belt in Okinawan SHURI-RYU and has been teaching yoga for the past 45 years. Dr. Rondberg also studied acupuncture at the Beijing Hospital in China and studied Ayurvedic medicine and energy healing in Northern India.

After 45 years of serving the chiropractic profession, Dr. Rondberg is no longer practicing chiropractic. Rather, he has shifted his focus to energy healing and integrative medicine and has a wellness technique he developed called Bioenergy.

Bioenergy is based on the ability of the brain to change one’s level of pain, postural distortion, stress levels, and stiffness.  For the brain to accomplish this, it must receive incoming, sensory information that can reach the highest cortical regions of the brain.

By working directly on the muscles in the sub-occipital triangle, Bioenergy directly affects the brain, where all pain, stiffness and dysfunction, originate.  After relaxing this area, the brain can return to doing what it does best: helping us to better adapt to internal and external stressors and making possible our highest expression of health and wellness.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO). PAHO Headquarters are in Washington, D.C. PAHO has 38 member governments, including the United States. PAHO is recognized internationally as part of the United Nations system.

PAHO collaborates with Ministries of Health, social security agencies, other government institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), universities, community groups, and others to strengthen national and local health systems. PAHO seeks to improve the health of the peoples of the Americas.

PAN AMERICAN SANITARY BUREAU

The Pan American Sanitary Bureau is the Secretariat of the PAHO. As an administrative agency, its mission is to cooperate technically with Member Countries. A document titled “Strategic and Programmatic Operation, 1999-2002” contains a section on Health Promotion and Protection, which may be of particular interest to the chiropractic profession. Relevant excerpts are quoted in the following section.

Health promotion and protection

“Inasmuch as health is the main component of human development, its promotion must, perforce, involve a much broader scope of action than that customarily handled by health systems and services. Most of the considerations related to the health of populations are based on their living conditions, the fulfillment of their basic needs, the quality of their environment, the culture to which they belong, and their knowledge, attitudes, and practices with regard to health. Given the conditions that still persist in the Region, health promotion and protection is considered a powerful strategy in the concept and practice of public health, as well as the fulcrum of a new paradigm aimed at affecting the detriments of health in general.

“As a way to jointly create with the countries a new culture of health promotion and protection where health becomes a social value — which implies training individuals and communities, as well as public, non-governmental, and private institutions to individually and collectively assume their responsibilities for preserving and continually improving their health and well being — technical cooperation will be provided to:

Acknowledging the role of health promotion as a tool for empowerment, emphasizing its importance in the regional forums for presidents and heads of state and first ladies of the Region.
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• Promoting the formulation of policies, plans, programs, standards, and tools for health promotion.
• Supporting cooperative and operations research through the network of Collaborating Centers.
• Continuing to design and strengthen methodologies and models for the evaluation of health promotion programs and interventions, the development of environmental initiatives or healthy spaces in schools and municipios, and the consolidation of networks of mayors, health secretariats, and school health associations.
• Developing intersectorial work strategies, mobilizing technical, scientific, political, and financial resources in support of health promotion; and developing technical, political and social support networks at all levels, including strategic alliances between the Pan American Health Organization and both the international community and the relevant organizations in the countries.
• Promoting the use of social communication in health, especially through the mass media.

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“Inasmuch as the operationalization of the strategies and programs for health promotion and protection are relatively recent in most of the countries and that there are solid indications that this is an absolutely essential strategy that should be part and parcel of all health actions, PASB will devote special efforts to:

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• Disseminating scientific and technical information on health promotion and protection to the greatest number and variety of individuals working in public health in the Region and developing national capabilities for the analysis and use of this information.
• Promoting evaluation of both inputs and processes, as well as short-term and long-term effects of the health promotion strategies, and documenting, analyzing, and disseminating information on the national experiences in health promotion, noting the cost-effectiveness of these strategies compared to curative and rehabilitation activities and health.
• Promoting the adoption of healthy lifestyles and risk prevention through anticipatory behaviors.
• Promoting the use of the life cycle, family cycle, and gender approaches.
• Promoting the restructuring of the services to enable them to incorporate these kinds of interventions and make comprehensive health care a reality.

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“In order to foster human development and prevent disease throughout the life cycle, priority will be given to cooperation in the following areas:

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• Family health and population, which attaches special importance to promoting and assessing and development at different ages; this includes programs for adolescent health, reproductive health, and health of the elderly.
• Food and nutrition, with special attention to malnutrition, the fortification of food and micronutrients, breast-feeding, supplementary feeding, nutritional guidelines for the different age groups, and food security.
• Healthy lifestyles and mental health, particularly preventing the use of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs; domestic violence; and child abuse, including social communication in health for the entire Organization, as well as health education and community participation, an area that involves initiatives to promote healthy schools, healthy municipios, and healthy spaces.”

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Chiropractic and health promotion

The values and strategies expressed in this document represent potential opportunities for the chiropractic profession. Chiropractors acknowledge that:

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• The body is a self-healing mechanism.
• The nervous system is the master and director of body function. Everything a human being perceives, and every human expression is mediated by the nervous system.
• If there is interference with nervous system function, it will compromise the human experience.
• Chiropractic care provides an effective clinical strategy for detecting and correcting vertebral subluxations, which cause interference with nervous system function.
• Chiropractic philosophy provides a cultural context for global health promotion strategies.

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It is up to the chiropractic profession and the international community to bring this vision to the citizens of the world.

The International Narcotics Control Board is the successor to several drug control bodies. Over 70 years ago, the first such body was established by international treaty. The Board consists of 13 members elected by the Economic and Social Council. The Board collaborates with the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP).

With expenditures of under $100 million, impressive results have been achieved worldwide. This is a fraction of the estimated $18 billion spent by the United States in an effort to control illicit drugs.

United Nations International Drug Control Programme

The goal of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme is to eliminate the illegal drug trade worldwide.

According to the UNDCP “Mission Statement,” the mission of the UNDCP is to work with the nations and the people of the world to tackle the global drug problem and its consequences by:
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• alerting the world to the threats posed by drug abuse to individuals, families, communities and institutions;
• building and supporting local, national and international partnership to address drug issues;
• promoting and enhancing efforts to reduce drug abuse, particularly among the young and vulnerable;
• strengthening international action against drug production, trafficking and drug related crime;
• providing information, analysis and expertise on the drug issue; and
• ensuring adequate supplies of controlled drugs for medical and scientific purposes.

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“Leading Global Drug Control,” the UNDCP publication states:

“On the eve of the new millennium we face an unprecedented opportunity to build a drug-free world: we have a solid base of knowledge and expertise, sophisticated new technologies, and the unified will of the world’s governments … Drug use is responsible for lost wages, soaring health care costs, broken families and deteriorating communities.”

The strategies employed to achieve these objectives include deterring drug use, halting production, cutting supply lines, and combating the laundering of drug money and assets.

Demand reduction

In my opinion, the U.S. approach to the drug problem, which emphasizes law enforcement, has yielded disappointing results. One reason for the apparent failure of the “war on drugs” is that it treats symptoms rather than correcting causes. The primary cause is the demand for drugs.

According to UNDCP: “Demand reduction efforts should be integrated into broader social welfare and health promotion policies and preventive education programmes. It is necessary to secure and sustain an environment in which healthy choices become attractive and accessible. Efforts to reduce the demand for drugs should be part of a broader social policy approach that encourages multisectorial collaboration. Such efforts should be comprehensive, multifaceted, coordinated and integrated with social and economic well-being of people.”

Cultural dynamics

There are significant cultural issues which relate to the problem of drug abuse. It is my opinion that the utilization patterns and marketing strategies for prescription drugs have a significant effect on the demand for illegal drugs.

As one example, “Report 1998” of the International Narcotics Control Board expressed concern regarding the use of methylphenidate (Ritalin) for the treatment of attention deficit disorder (ADD). The report states:

“Since 1993, the Board has closely followed developments in the use of methylphenidate for the treatment of children diagnosed with ADD. The main areas of concern for the Board have been trends in the diagnosis of ADD and in the prescription of methylphenidate for its treatment in theUnited States , which consumes more than 85 per cent of the world total. Recognizing, however, that developments in the United States could have an impact on other countries, the Board requested . . . that all governments exercise the utmost vigilance in order to prevent the over-diagnosis of ADD in children and, with that, the medically unjustified treatment with methylphenidate and other stimulants.”

Recently, the consumption of methylphenidate has grown in more than 50 countries, the majority of them reporting annual increases of over 100% use of the substance … A factor contributing to the increasing consumption of methylphenidate is the expansion of the population of patients treated with the substance.

At the beginning of the 1990s, the majority of children treated were boys in primary school. Since then, the range of patients has been extended to include children, adolescents and adults. The proportion of female patients has also increased. According to recent reports, some children as young as one year old are being diagnosed with ADD in the United States . There has been an increase in the number of children under five years of age who are being treated with methylphenidate in the United States .

NGO role in drug issues

As part of a briefing session for NGOs concerning the International Narcotics Control Board, I had the opportunity to ask Ambassador Herbert Okun if there were programs of demand reduction in operation which emphasized cultural dynamics, such as the widespread prescription and use of “performance enhancing” drugs in the United States , and whether any such programs were successful.

Ambassador Okun stated that in his opinion, things were getting worse. He cited the promotion of “performance enhancing” drugs such as Viagra by Sen. Dole, as well as the direct promotion of prescription drugs to the consumer. The Ambassador also mentioned the availability of over-the-counter diet aids.

Other discussants stated that NGOs play a significant role in demand reduction.

A chiropractic perspective

We live in a society where pharmacological solutions are sought and promoted for problems ranging from overweight to excessive gambling. Drugs are seen as a “quick fix” to complex physical, emotional, and even social problems. Any potentially uncomfortable circumstance may be medicalized, with a pharmacological solution available either today or tomorrow, if enough research funds are available.

The demand for illegal drugs is likely to be high in an affluent society that seeks enhanced sexual or athletic performance, as well as behavioral and emotional challenges.

The chiropractic profession is well positioned to assume a leadership role in this changing cultural dynamic. By emphasizing a non-pharmacological health strategy — the correction of vertebral subluxations — chiropractic care enhances quality of life. Preliminary evidence suggests that chiropractic patients use fewer prescription drugs than non-chiropractic patients, and that chiropractic care has potential in the care of persons suffering from addictions and compulsive behavior.

By correcting neurological interference, chiropractic improves physical, mental, and social well being. Chiropractic care may play a pivotal role in solving our world’s drug problem.

Being a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with the U.N. Department of Public Information gives the WCA the opportunity to meet and establish relationships with numerous other group leaders working together for a better world.

During the time the WCA has been recognized as an NGO, it has attended numerous United Nation’s meetings, made a ground-breaking presentation to an assembly of NGOs, and worked diligently to share and promote the principles of subluxation-based chiropractic.

Shortly after receiving the WCA status as an NGO, Terry A. Rondberg, D.C., WCA president, attended a briefing co-sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme on The Global Meeting of Generations. The presentation focused on the young and the elderly. Demographic information was presented. Since chiropractic emphasizes the importance of remaining vertebral subluxation free from birth until death, intergenerational issues are of great interest to the profession.

Since then, the WCA attended a a number of important United Nation’s NGO events, including:
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• a briefing on UNICEF’s Annual Report– The State of the World’s Children, 1999. Emphasis was on education, including health issues which may affect the ability of a child to learn effectively. One of the participants was H.E. Mr. Fred Byendeza, Deputy Permanent Representative of Uganda to the United Nations. Ambassador Byendeza and the other presenters accepted questions from the NGO representatives in attendance.
• a meeting of the NGO/DPI Health Committee. The topic was “Perspectives on Complimentary Medicine.” Among the presenters was Mehmet Oz, M.D., faculty member of Columbia University and Director of the Complimentary Medicine Program at New York Presbyterian Medical Center.
• a briefing presented by H.E. Mr. Jorgen Bojer, Permanent Representative of Denmark to the United Nations; Ms. Catherine Dumait-Harper, Main Representative of Medicins san Frontieres; Ms. Sylvie Junod, Head of Delegation, International Committee of the Red Cross; and Mr. Andreas Ramirez, Senior Liaison Officer, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, New York.
• a briefing entitled “Challenges for 1999 and Beyond.” Presenters included Ms. Sudha Acharya, vice- president of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultive Relationship with the United Nations; Mr. Iqbal Haji, of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs; and H.E. Samuel Insanally, Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations. A spirited question-and-answer session with Mr. Haji and Ambassador Insanally followed the presentation.
• a briefing concerning continuing and adult education. Presenters included H.E. Mr. Shamim Ahmed, Deputy Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations; Mr. Emanuel C. Goued Njayick, of the Division of Economic and Social Affairs; and Dr. David Waugh, Secretary-General of the International Federation of Training and Development Organizations.
• a special International Women’s Day event. Presenters included Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan, and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. A WCA represenative met personally with an official from the World Health Organization (WHO) to discuss strategies for chiropractic collaboration.
• a briefing with representatives of World Information Transfer, the American Medical Women’s Association, the International Health Awareness Network, and the Women’s Federation for World Peace.
• a briefing concerning the International Narcotics Control Board. Speakers included Ambassador Herbert Okun, vice-president of the UN International Narcotics Control Board, Ambassador Lamuel Stanislaus of Grenada, Zach Messitte, Chief Speech Writer for the UNDCP, and Rosalind Harris, former chair of the NGO Committee on Narcotics and Substance Abuse.
• a briefing on population information.
• a briefing addressing sustainable development.
• a briefing with Richard Butler, Executive Chairman, UN Special Commission; Jonathan Dean, of the Union of Concerned Scientists; and Randall Forsberg, of the Institute for Defense and Disarmament Studies.

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Ever since officials from the World Chiropractic Alliance met in Geneva with representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO), they have been busy planning and working on several important projects to ensure chiropractic’s proper place in global health care programs.

The first task was to create a Power Point presentation documenting the laws relating to chiropractic which exist throughout the world. The WCA was called upon to research and present information on the licensing and legal status of all nations. He also needed to provide information on the number of D.C.s licensed and/or practicing in each country.

The WCA realized that the information not only needed to be accurate but had to be presented in an interesting manner in order to project the proper professional image of chiropractic to the world health care community.

You can view the presentation by following this link.

The presentation helped provide WHO officials with much needed background information on the current status of chiropractic around the globe and was only the first of several projects which the World Chiropractic Alliance plans to work on with WHO.

The next two projects will be even more challenging:

#1 — Assist in the development of an international model law for chiropractic. This is particularly important since chiropractic is only now being introduced into many emerging nations.

In the next few years, as chiropractic spreads to all parts of the world, many countries will be formulating their own licensing and scope of practice laws.

The World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) has already tried to infiltrate many of these nations and will undoubtedly promote a quasi-medical, musculoskeletal model of chiropractic. It will either ignore or, more likely, ridicule the concept of vertebral subluxation.

Until the World Chiropractic Alliance began working with the United Nations — first as an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) affiliated with the United Nations Department of Public Information and now with other global health agencies such as the World Health Organization — the WFC was the only voice speaking for chiropractic in the international arena.

However, the strong presence of the World Chiropractic Alliance has ensured that subluxation-based chiropractic will be represented and protected throughout the world.

#2 — Chiropractic missions to underdeveloped and emerging nations. The World Chiropractic Alliance has always supported and publicized the humanitarian and international educational work of doctors of chiropractic.

The Chiropractic Journal has featured stories of WCA members traveling to India, Honduras, Costa Rica, Russia and other nations. In the years to come, this effort will be even more critical as the world faces the potential health crisis caused by the overuse and misuse of antibiotics and the uncontrollable spread of infectious diseases.

The World Chiropractic Alliance will be at the forefront of the efforts to use chiropractic to strengthen the immune system, improve overall health, and fulfill the dreams of a subluxation-free world and the vision of worldwide wellness.

The health and welfare of children around the world is, and should be, a major concern for health care practitioners and advocates. Children in all nations are at risk from a staggering number of dangers from infectious diseases and conditions. The precarious nature of their health has been further threatened a frightening increase in iatrogenic incidents.

Parents are alarmed by news of possible links between vaccines and autism, the overuse and abuse of antibiotics for otitis media, the shameful misuse of Ritalin and growth hormones, and the lack of proper testing of drugs given to children. They are aware that medical errors needlessly kill as many as 98,000 Americans die annually — more than from highway accidents, breast cancer, or AIDS. They are looking for something better and many of them are finding chiropractic to be a safe and effective alternative.

The World Chiropractic Alliance strongly supports the right of parents to seek and obtain chiropractic care for all their children, regardless of age or presence or absence of symptoms.

The care of children is consistent with recommended chiropractic guidelines, as set forth in the Council on Chiropractic Practice “Clinical Practice Guideline Number 1, Vertebral Subluxation in Chiropractic Practice,” included in the National Guideline Clearinghouse.

This document, which has been widely embraced by the chiropractic profession, states:

“Since vertebral subluxation may affect individuals at any age, chiropractic care may be indicated at any time after birth. As with any age group, however, care must be taken to select adjustment methods most appropriate to the patient’s stage of development and overall spinal integrity. Parental education by the subluxation-centered chiropractor concerning the importance of evaluating children for the presence of vertebral subluxation is encouraged.”

It provides ample documented evidence that chiropractic care is safe for children and can have beneficial effects on health and fitness from newborn to adult stages.

In addition to the CCP Guideline, two peer-reviewed journals, Chiropractic Pediatrics and the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics disseminate critically reviewed papers in this field. Courses in pediatrics are offered at the professional and postgraduate levels at accredited chiropractic colleges and by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association.

Unlike medical treatment and surgical procedures, chiropractic care a presents an extremely low risk for chiropractic pediatric patients, as reported by Dr. R.A. Pistolese in “Risk assessment of neurological and/or vertebrobasilar complications in the pediatric chiropractic patient” (Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research 1998; 2(2).

The World Chiropractic Alliance also condemns the efforts by the medical pediatric establishment to malign chiropractic and prevent parents from obtaining chiropractic care for their children. These blatant attempts to spread mis-information and fear is reminiscent of the campaign by the American Medical Association and other medical organizations against the profession in the 1960s-90s, which was deemed by the courts to have been an illegal conspiracy to destroy competition in the health care field.

PL 102-484

President Bush signed the Defense Authorization Bill (HR 5006) into law on October 23, 1992. Section 505 authorizes the Secretary of Defense to “appoint chiropractors as commissioned officers in the armed forces to provide chiropractic care within the military health system.”

On May 27, 1993, an Army Information Paper indicated that chiropractors would be commissioned as officers in the Medical Services Corps.

As of January 2000, no chiropractor has been commissioned as a chiropractor in any branch of the military.

Chiropractic in the United States

There are two major schools of thought in the chiropractic profession. The first considers chiropractic to be a limited medical specialty for the treatment of certain musculoskeletal disorders. Proponents of this position embrace a broad array of therapeutic interventions including manipulation and physical therapy modalities. This necessarily encroaches on the practice of medicine and physical therapy.

The second school of thought is committed to positioning chiropractic as a separate and distinct discipline in the healing arts, which does not duplicate existing medical services. It is directed toward the correction of vertebral subluxations, which interfere with the function of the nervous system.

Chiropractic in Medicare

Chiropractic has been included as a Medicare benefit for over 25 years. 42 USC 1395x(r)(5) provides for chiropractic services limited to manual correction of spinal subluxations. The Medicare benefit does not include physical therapy services. The only “condition” covered is spinal subluxation.

This position is consistent with the school of thought which positions chiropractic as a separate and distinct profession.

Recommendations

Our recommendation is that the military be directed to immediately commence commissioning chiropractors as officers in all branches of the military. This should include:

1. Create a Chiropractic Corps providing chiropractic examinations and adjustments to correct vertebral subluxations.

Rationale: A separate Dental Corps exists, recognizing that dentistry is a service separate and distinct from medicine. Chiropractic does not belong in the Medical Specialist Corps. Physical therapy and rehabilitation services are already available within the military system; chiropractic examination and adjustment to correct vertebral subluxations are not. This provides consistency with the other existing Federal program, is the more cost-effective approach, and satisfies legislative intent.

2. Direct access to chiropractic care.

Rationale: Only a chiropractor is qualified to determine the appropriateness of chiropractic care. Direct access would also eliminate the costs associated with a screening process by other providers.

3. Adoption of Council on Chiropractic Practice Clinical Practice Guideline Number 1–Vertebral Subluxation in Chiropractic Practice.

Rationale: This evidence-based guideline is current, and was distributed to US chiropractors in 1999. It was produced by an interdisciplinary expert panel, and underwent peer review by 195 chiropractors in 12 countries. The Guideline is included in the AHCPR National Guideline Clearinghouse.

The World Chiropractic Alliance

The World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA) is an international, non-profit professional membership organization. The WCA is concerned with health promotion, wellness, and quality of life issues. It is committed to positioning chiropractic as a separate and distinct discipline in the healing arts. WCA’s vision of chiropractic is directed toward the correction of vertebral subluxations, which interfere with the function of the nervous system.

WCA was accredited as an NGO (non-governmental organization) by the Department of Public Information of the United Nations in late 1998.

The World Chiropractic Alliance urges the military to promulgate a policy which provides for the creation of a Chiropractic Corps. Furthermore, there should be no further delay in commissioning chiropractors as officers.