The Amazing Chiropractor Series: Interview with Terry Schroeder, D.C.

schroederfamily:dropcap_open:D:dropcap_close:r. Terry Schroeder is the USA’s only four time Olympian in the sport of water polo.  He was a member of Team USA during the Olympic boycott in 1980.  After the boycott, Terry re-focused and dedicated himself to pursuing his Olympic dream. In 1981, he was named the team captain. His leadership helped the team to consecutive silver medals in 1984 and 1988. At the Closing Ceremonies of the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea, he was selected to carry the American flag for USA delegation.

After a brief two-year retirement, Schroeder decided to return to the pool in 1990 to train for the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. He had an immediate impact and Team USA won the World Cup for the first time ever in 1991.  Team USA finished fourth at the Olympic Games in Barcelona.

In 1981 and 1985, Schroeder was named the best water polo player in the world. He was also selected as the model for the Olympic torso statue, which stands to this day at the entrance of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Since retiring from the sport in 1992 as an athlete, Schroeder has established himself as a world class coach. In 2007, Terry was chosen Head Coach of the USA Men’s Olympic Water Polo Team. At that time, Team USA team was ranked 9th in the world and in a state of disarray as the team had gone through three coaches in three years.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the USA Men’s Water Polo squad became one of the amazing stories of the Games.  The USA squad made a remarkable run in Beijing with upset victories over Italy, Croatia, Germany and Serbia to forge their way into the championship game.  Team USA fell to Hungary 14-10 in the gold medal game, but gained international recognition in returning to the podium for the first time in 20 years.

As an inspirational and motivational speaker, Dr. Schroeder is in demand to make personal appearances to talk about life lessons he has learned as a world-class athlete and an Olympic Coach. Schroeder has authored chapters in two books—The Spine in Sports by Robert Watkins, M.D., and Awaken the Olympian Within by Olympic swimmer John Naber.

Dr. Terry Schroeder is a third generation chiropractor. A native of Santa Barbara, California, Schroeder is a 1981 Magna Cum Laude Sports Medicine graduate of Pepperdine University and a 1986 Cum Laude graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic.  Schroeder has been married to his wife Lori, also a chiropractor, for 22 years.  They own and operate Schroeder Center for Healthy Living in Westlake Village, California. The Schroeder’s have two children, Leanna (10/14/94) and Sheridan (8/10/01).

:dropcap_open:Each adjustment that I give is the most important adjustment of the day.:quoteleft_close:

TAC: What inspired you to become a chiropractor? Do you have a specific story?

SCHROEDER: My Dad was a chiropractor and he delivered all three of his children.  Chiropractic was a way of life in our family.  There were no meds in the bathroom cabinets.  When we were sick, we knew we needed to be adjusted.  My inspiration to become a chiropractor really came from watching my Dad at his office (which was in our home).  My brother Lance and I would sit in our living room (also Dad’s waiting room) and watch as patients came in, many times in such pain that they had to be helped into the office.  After spending 15 minutes or so with my Dad behind a closed door, they would often times come out of the room laughing and joking with my Dad.  We were amazed and convinced that my Dad was some kind of miracle man.  I made the decision early that I wanted to become a chiropractor and help others like my Dad did.  My brother, Lance, and sister, Tammy, also became chiropractors.

TAC: How has your experience as a chiropractor impacted your coaching?

SCHROEDER: I have learned some great lessons as a chiropractor that I have been able to carry over to my coaching.  First of all, I have learned to be in the moment.  Each adjustment that I give is the most important adjustment of the day.  I try to carry that with me with all that I do.  When I am on the pool deck coaching, I need to be there in the moment 100% with my athletes.  This has helped me to be more focused.  I have also learned the art of being patient.  Just as each patient responds differently to my treatment in the office, each athlete may respond or learn a little differently too.  Knowing this, I have managed to be able to stay cool in the heat of the battle in workout or even in a game.  There is no doubt that my experience in the office has also helped me to become more caring and compassionate.  These are qualities that are necessary to be a successful coach.  Finally, I have learned to appreciate how valuable our health is and this has helped me to keep coaching (even at the Olympic level) in the proper perspective.

 

TAC: What are your specialties and can you tell us some more about them?

SCHROEDER: My wife Lori and I share a family practice in Westlake Village, CA.  We treat young and old, athletes and couch potatoes and I enjoy treating them all. I do not have my CCSP or any other specialty degrees.  I have focused on being the best adjuster I can be.  As I said before, each adjustment of the day is the most important one at that time.  When I practice this way and keep love in my heart for each patient, we see miracles every day in our office.  Chiropractic is an amazing profession where we get positive feedback almost all day long.  I love helping people become healthier.  We have Pilates, massage and some therapies (EMS and US), but our office is all about the chiropractic care.  My wife and I both feel incredibly blessed to be in this profession.

:quoteright_open:We are in the hunt to win another medal and, this time, we are focused on winning the gold.:quoteright_close:

TAC: How do you see the chances of the U.S. in the upcoming Olympics?

SCHROEDER: We are in the hunt to win another medal and, this time, we are focused on winning the gold.  There are 10 teams in the world that are all pretty close to each other.  We are in the middle of that pack.  Currently, we are ranked fourth, which is where we have placed in the 2009 World Championships and the 2010 World Cup.  In the Olympic year, it is all about which team comes together the most and plays at their peak for the 2 week period during the Games.  I like our team.  We are composed of primarily veteran players with as many as 9 returning Olympians from 2008 and then we will fill the roster with some young players that will bring some positive energy to the mix.  We have good leadership and we have some of the best players in the world at the key positions, which is necessary to win a tournament like the Olympic Games.

 

TAC: Do you have any mentor in chiropractic that helped you along?

SCHROEDER: My Dad was my mentor for many years.  He was my hero.  Unfortunately, he passed away 4 years ago.  But he left me with a passion for this great profession and a desire to be the best that I can be.

 

TAC: We heard that you have a pretty big chiropractic family. Can you tell our readers about that?

SCHROEDER: My Dad’s dad is the first of our family tree.  I am proud to be a third generation chiropractor.  We now have 68 chiropractors in our family.  It is pretty awesome when a group of us get together.

olympicpolo

TAC: Which techniques do you use and why?

SCHROEDER: I use a diversified technique that I learned at Palmer and which was refined by my father and years of practice.  I also use a Leander table in our practice for flexion/distraction.  Occasionally, I will use an activator and some soft tissue work (Trigger point or ART).  We do utilize therapies in our office on approximately 50% of our patients.  We have roller beds, EMS and US that we commonly will use after the patient is adjusted to allow the patient to relax before they run out into the busy world.  I use these techniques because I have found that I get good results with them.  I will continue to refine my practice as I grow and learn from my patients and other doctors.

 

TAC: What type(s) of diagnostic testing procedures do you use and why?

SCHROEDER: I use X-rays and MRI’s when I feel like it is necessary for diagnostic reasons in our practice.  I am not afraid to refer out, if someone is not responding to my care or if upon my initial exam and evaluation I feel that I may not be the right doctor for the patient.

 

TAC: Do you have any “amazing” athlete recovery story?

SCHROEDER: I feel like chiropractic care helped me to become the only four time American Olympian in the sport of water polo.  I was badly injured in a car accident in 1987 and doctors wanted to perform surgery on my right shoulder.  With some amazing chiropractic care, I recovered fully without surgery and was able to play in two more Olympic Games after that (1988, 1992).  Besides that, I see the miracle of chiropractic every day in our office with young athletes that tell me how much they improved on their time or how well they felt after an adjustment.  On our 2008 team, only a few of the team members were receiving regular chiropractic care prior to my being selected as the head coach.  By the time the Olympic Games came around, each one of the athletes was getting good care and I feel strongly that this was one of the key factors in our team’s staying healthy and winning a silver medal after being ranked 9th in the world heading into the Games.  There is such a small margin between winning and losing at the Olympic Games and each one of our athletes came to realize the ability of chiropractic to fine tune the body and help them reach their athletic potential.

:quoteright_open:Chiropractic is simply helping our bodies to help themselves.:quoteright_close:

TAC: Can you tell us about your clinic?

SCHROEDER: Our office is about 7,000 square feet.  We are located in Westlake Village, California, where we have practiced for the past 24 years. We have five chiropractors that share space and a physical therapist that also shares space.  We have a Pilates studio and two massage rooms.  I enjoy the team atmosphere that we have in our office.  We all get along well and we feel like our staff is family.  It does not feel like work when you come into the office.  There is a nice calm healing environment.

 

TAC: Any final words for our readers?

SCHROEDER: Chiropractic is simply helping our bodies to help themselves.  I get so excited when I get to introduce a new patient (who has never seen a chiropractor) to our great profession.  I consider it an honor and I see it as an opportunity to change that patient’s life for the better. I hope none of us ever takes what we do for granted.  It is truly a gift.

  

You may contact Terry A. Schroeder D.C. at: 31225 La Baya Dr. # 206, Westlake Village, Ca  91361. Phone: 818-889-5572 Email: [email protected] Web: www.schroederhealthyliving.com

Chiropractic Biophysics Technique – Interview with Deed Harrison, D.C.

deedharrision1may

:dropcap_open:D:dropcap_close:r. Don Harrison has been a tireless Chiropractic researcher and scientist for more than 35 years.  Originator of Chiropractic BiophysicsTechnique (CBP), Dr. Don conducted his research and reported his findings according to established scientific standards and protocols. His diligence and expertise have been rewarded by a high level of acceptance by the scientific community.

Dr. Don’s outstanding career as a Chiropractor, researcher and technique developer came to an unfortunate and untimely end when he was stricken with a devastating illness three years ago.  Fortunately his son Deed Harrison was ready, willing and able to “take over the family business” and continue his Father’s work.

Dr. Deed Harrison is a young man with a purpose:  to advance the science and art of Chiropractic, through CBP NonProfit, Inc., a research and educational foundation established by his father in the 1990’s.  Until recently he and his wife, Shirlene, who is also a chiropractor, have practiced and taught together.  Just this month (April 2011) they sold their clinical practice to focus entirely on CBP Technique Seminars and CBP NonProfit Research.

 

Koch: Dr. Deed, I am pleased to have the opportunity to hear about the latest developments in CBP.  I have taken several seminars taught by your Dad. They were terrific.  It is a real loss to the profession as well as a personal tragedy that he is no longer able to continue his work.

DEED: It is indeed a tragedy.  I am just grateful to be in a position to take over CBP and continue for him.  I have upgraded our business model for greater efficiency while continuing the research and teaching program.

 

Koch: One of the things that has distinguished CBP over the years is the incredible number of peer reviewed articles your Dad and you have had published.  That is a great accomplishment and service to the profession.

DEED: Thanks Bill, we are proud to have had over 100 articles and studies published in peer reviewed publications.

:quoteleft_open:CBP Technique methods have foundations in Linear Algebra theory mathematics (study of rotations and translations) and mechanical engineering.:quoteleft_close:

Koch: Deed, please give us a thumbnail sketch of what CBP is about. I want our readers to know that CBP is not just another line drawing X-ray analysis and adjusting technique, but a provable scientific approach and valuable chiropractic reference resource.

DEED: The technique goals of normal spinal position and normal posture are achieved through well researched and documented, scientific methods. CBP Technique methods have foundations in Linear Algebra theory mathematics (study of rotations and translations) and mechanical engineering.

While many chiropractic techniques are lacking evidence-based support, CBP Technique is an exception to this situation. CBP technique researchers have authored 135 studies in the peer-reviewed, indexed literature on a variety of aspects of CBP technique theories, protocols, and practices.

 

Koch: This work is very important to the entire Chiropractic profession.  It provides scientific validation of the principles of chiropractic, placing us on firm ground in any inter-professional dialogue, especially when the efficacy of chiropractic is being challenged.

DEED: That’s right.  Let’s take it a step further. In a significant portion of chiropractic research, the authors are analyzing outcome measures in patient populations following chiropractic intervention without validation of what it is (subluxation) that is being treated. Further, the improvement in the subluxation is seldom documented with reliable/valid methods. With this in mind, correlation of subluxation reduction to improvement in a patient specific condition cannot be made.

CBP researchers did not want to ‘place the cart before the horse’ by studying patient outcomes without prior investigation of the methods used in these studies. Therefore, in the mid 1990’s a four tiered research outline or plan was laid out where each tier utilizes information from the preceding one(s). The tiers are:

Establish a scientific definition of the ideal and/or average human spinal alignment.

Define and investigate the existence of spinal subluxations.

Evaluate the reliability and validity of the assessment of spinal subluxation types described in tier 2.

Develop interventions to reduce subluxation types in tier 2 using the assessment procedures in tier 3 and investigate patient outcomes using these interventions.

 

Koch: What are the clinical goals of CBP in a nutshell?

DEED: The CBP is very straight forward.  While many in chiropractic are turning away from structural outcomes of care to concentrate solely on pain reduction, improved ranges of motion, and other functional based outcomes, in contrast, CBP emphasizes optimal posture and spinal alignment as the primary goals of chiropractic care while simultaneously documenting improvements in pain and functional based outcomes. The uniqueness of CBP treatment is in structural rehabilitation of the spine and posture. This goal requires (1) a precise definition of normal posture and (2) reliability and validity of postural measurement.

 

deedharrision2may

Koch: The level of corrective care you are discussing requires an extensive course of care.  Understanding that each case is different in terms of severity, chronicity, degenerative joint disease, patients stress load and lifestyle, what might your recommendations for corrective care look like for a hypothetical middle aged patient with a moderate degree of DJD and pain?

DEED: The CBP protocol of care recommends that relief care (traditional chiropractic management) be separated from structural rehabilitation of the spine and posture. In this regard, the typical patient would receive an initial 3 weeks of care (4 times per week or 12 visits) aimed at improving segmental and gross spinal range of motion and pain intensity/frequency.

After, the initial relief care, CBP structural rehabilitation procedures would begin and include exercises, adjustments, and traction performed in the Mirror Image® (referred to as the E.A.T protocol). The mirror image® posture positions are the rotation and translation pairs in or about each coordinate axis.

The reason for postural mirror image® exercises, adjustments, and traction procedures is to address all the tissues involved in spine and posture alignment. Mirror image® exercises are performed to stretch shortened muscles and to strengthen those muscles that have weakened in areas where postural muscles have adapted to asymmetric abnormal postures. Although strength and conditioning exercise has not proven to correct posture, postural exercises performed in the mirror image® have shown initial promise in the reduction of posture and spinal displacements.  Recommendations for the corrective phase are made in 36 visit increments as warranted by the individual case.

 

Koch: This is obviously a very comprehensive approach to spinal correction.  What equipment and procedures are involved?

DEED: You are right, Bill, we try to cover all the bases.  Postural adjustments as performed with drop table, hand-held instrument, or even mirror image manipulation procedures are performed for resetting the nervous system regulation of postural muscle balance. Postural mirror image and extension traction for the sagittal curves provides sustained loading periods of 10-20 minutes and is necessary to cause visco-elastic deformation to the resting length of the spinal ligaments, muscles, and discs.

 

Koch: One of the things that your work provides is a system of rehabilitative care for the patient to do at home.  Please tell our readers about it.

DEED: We partnered CBP with Denneroll Industries of Australia to provide a full product line of biomechanically correct supports and orthotic devices for the rehabilitation of spinal curves.

:quoteright_open:The reason for postural mirror image® exercises, adjustments, and traction procedures is to address all the tissues involved in spine and posture alignment.:quoteright_close:

Koch: Looking at your website and literature, I am impressed not only by your attention to proper biomechanics, but by the fact that you even consider the individual body mass index in making your recommendations.

Equally important are your guidelines of contraindications.  We all have had patients who have had negative response to rehab exercise.  These guidelines go a long way toward helping the doctor prevent unintended exacerbations.

DEED: There are multiple benefits to putting patients on a spinal rehabilitation program. They speed up the corrective process and relief of pain. When we engage the patient in the corrective process it leads to improved compliance. Also, insurance companies like it when they see that the Doctor has recommended at home rehab.  It is indicative of thoroughness and a sincere interest in expediting the patient’s results.  It is a win – win situation.

 

Koch: Tell us about the CBP seminar programs.

DEED: The basic CBP certification program consists of 6 weekend seminars followed by a proficiency test.  We also have an advanced certification program which consists of 6 seminars covering the more advanced procedures.  That is also followed by a proficiency exam.  To date, about 550 doctors have achieved a CBP proficiency rating.

 

Koch: Deed, I would like to compliment you on your stand on behalf of the continued right of chiropractors to use X-ray in their practices.  X-ray is one of our most important analytical tools.  The chiropractors who were behind the effort to eliminate or limit our use of X-ray are simply wrong and they’re doing our profession and patients a grave disservice.   If they are so concerned with patient safety they should attack the medical profession’s indiscriminate use of CAT scans which commonly subject the patient to many hundreds of times the radiation exposure of a set of chiropractic films.  Our entire profession owes you a debt of gratitude for your work in this matter.  I appreciate your work and dedication to furthering the scientific basis of chiropractic, but don’t forget to allow time to take care of yourself.  You owe that to yourself and your family.


Dr. Deed will be presenting a comprehensive, contemporary review of this topic at the upcoming 32nd CBP Annual Conference on Sept. 24-26th, in Scottsdale, AZ. Deed E. Harrison, D.C. is President CBP Seminars, Inc., Vice President CBP® Non-Profit, Inc., Chair PCCRP Guidelines, Editor—AJCC.


Dr. Bill Koch is a 1967 Cum Laude graduate of Palmer. After 30 years of practice in The Hamptons, NY, he retired and moved to Abaco, Bahamas, where he and his wife Kiana travel by boat to provide Chiropractic care to the residents of the remote out islands. Dr. Koch, author of Chiropractic the Superior Alternative, writes a blog: Mentoring Young Chiropractors http://DrWilliamHKoch.com and is working on two new books, ChiroPractice Made Perfect and The Out Island Chiropractor. He may be contacted at [email protected]

Applied Kinesiology Demystified: Interview with Eugene Charles, D.C.

eugenecharles:dropcap_open:W:dropcap_close:hen it was suggested that I do an interview with Applied Kinesiology practitioner and instructor, Dr. Eugene Charles, I was hesitant to accept the assignment.  Of all the well known chiropractic techniques, Applied Kinesiology was the one in which I had the least interest.  Throughout the years, I had seen numerous demonstrations of what had been represented to be AK and, to be very candid, I was not favorably impressed.  The various demonstrations I had seen gave the impression AK was a magic act with “sleight of hand tricks,” as one might see performed by an illusionist in a Las Vegas show.

When I voiced this opinion of AK as my reason for refusing the project, I was offered a DVD of one of Dr. Charles’ lectures to see if it might change my mind.  I agreed to watch the DVD and I am really glad I did.

:dropcap_open:The various demonstrations I had seen gave the impression AK was a magic act with sleight of hand tricks, as one might see performed by an illusionist in a Las Vegas show.:quoteleft_close:

Dr. Charles impressed me right from the beginning.  I quickly learned that my negative impression of AK was based on misrepresentations or, at least, incomplete representations of what AK really is.

In spite of being favorably impressed by Dr. Eugene Charles and his obvious expertise, I was still reluctant to do the interview with him because I realized that my lack of knowledge of what I had come to realize is a complex, multi-faceted subject would not allow me to have an intelligent conversation with him.

It was then suggested that I review APPLIED KINESIOLOGY IN CLINICAL PRACTICE, a 100-hour AK certification course taught by Dr. Eugene Charles in a series of DVD’s, complete with accompanying text books.  How could I refuse that offer?  The plan was for me to simply skim the course, but I quickly found myself engrossed in it.  I really enjoyed Dr. Charles’ teaching style, as well as the content of the course.  AK proved to be much more than I ever thought it to be.  Instead of skimming, I began to seriously study the course, viewing the DVD’s and the text books over and over.  I now recognize that AK has great value and I regret that I was previously so dismissive of it.

I now introduce my friend and esteemed colleague, Dr. Eugene Charles.

 

Koch: Eugene, how long have you been teaching Applied Kinesiology?

:quoteright_open:I have not practiced a single day without the benefit of AK. I wouldn’t know what to do if I didn’t have the tools that AK gives us.:quoteright_close:

CHARLES: More than half my life.  I began teaching in 1986, tutoring students. When I attained my Diplomate in Applied Kinesiology (DIBAK), I began teaching a 50-hour course at The Los Angeles College of Chiropractic. Then I moved to New York and started teaching the 100-hour course in Manhattan and also upstate near The New York College of Chiropractic. I have taught this course twenty-five times. These are the seminars that are on the DVD’s you have been watching.

 

Koch: That explains why your teaching style is so polished. You’ve had a lot of experience.  I have only worked my way through a portion of your 100-hour course, but I am hooked. I am also pissed off that I didn’t find out what AK was really about years ago.  The only thing I can say is that, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

CHARLES: It is too bad, but I am so happy to see your excitement. It means a lot, especially in view of your technical background and 43 years of practice experience. I know you aren’t easy to impress.  Don’t feel too bad about your previously negative impression of AK. Many other DC’s have had the same experience with goofball demonstrations that left them saying, “That stuff is BS.”

 

Koch:   It really is a shame.  I hope that this interview will inspire the young DC’s, and perhaps even those who are skeptics like I was, to take a good look at your course.  Not everyone will be willing to do the work, but those who do will be well rewarded for their efforts.

 CHARLES: You are right, Bill.  It takes someone who is highly motivated and disciplined.  The last thing I want is to see anyone just “dabble” in AK.  I want to teach those doctors who want to be great healers.

 

Koch: I love something you say in the course:  “No one talks about Alexander the Mediocre or Catherine the Ordinary.”   I made a pact with myself while a student: to be the best Chiropractor I can be, and never settle for anything less than giving my patients the best care possible.

:dropcap_open:The last thing I want is to see anyone just “dabble” in AK.:quoteleft_close:

CHARLES: I made the same pact with myself.  I was fortunate enough to meet Dr. George Goodheart, the founder of Applied Kinesiology, when I was still in Chiropractic school.  When I saw what he could do, I said, “I have to learn to do that.”   I was privileged to study with him for many years.  As a result, I have not practiced a single day without the benefit of AK.  I wouldn’t know what to do if I didn’t have the tools that AK gives us.

 

Koch: I can understand why you say that now that I know what the scope of AK encompasses.  Prior to the 100-hour course, I associated it only with the muscle testing, and that wasn’t put in proper context.  Now I know that there is so much more and that it dramatically expands our ability to functionally examine our patients in a highly evolved, systemic and systematic manner.  For me, it fills in gaps I didn’t even know I had. It allows us, as you say, “to make sense of what heretofore has been senseless.”

Eugene, please give our readers your definition of AK, because it really says a lot.

CHARLES: Applied Kinesiology can be defined as the clinical application of the study of movement and function.   It is functional neurology.  It is diagnostic of the body’s central integrative state through the detection of direct or reflex manifestations within the structure or function of the muscular system.

 

Koch: That covers a lot of ground, Eugene.  I think it would be helpful to enumerate the functional aberrations that AK identifies and the corrective procedures used to address them.

:quoteright_open:The universe is not to be narrowed down to the limits of our understanding… but our understanding must be stretched and enlarged to take in the image of the universe as it is discovered.

Sir Francis Bacon:quoteright_close:

CHARLES: Good idea, Bill.

The functional aberrations AK identifies are:  Muscular, Neurological, Vascular, Osseous, Lymphatic, Respiratory, Digestive, Endocrine, Acupuncture/Meridian systems.

The corrective procedures used to induce or restore  normal function include, but are not limited to:  a wide variety of chiropractic techniques including manual adjustments, instrument adjustments using the ArthroStim® and VibraCussor® adjusting instruments and SOT blocking, cranial techniques, therapeutic massage, reflex therapies, acupuncture, exercises and stretches, nutritional supplementation,  emotional support or modalities and  lifestyle changes.  These are done with the aim of decreasing noxious stimuli below threshold and allowing the body to heal itself.

 

Koch:  There is no question that, if we examine our patients to detect all of the possible aberrations of function you listed and then employ the corrective procedures as specifically indicated by therapy localization, muscle testing, postural analysis and challenges, we will be providing our patients with a very high level of care.

 CHARLES: That’s right, Bill.  Like one of the MD’s who took my course said:  “You guys really have it!”

 

Koch:   The technical information you present in the 100-hour course is great; but what I find equally important, and the thing that really brings it to life, is the way you talk about your philosophy of life, healing and practice.  I think that is what really grabbed me and got my attention and made me want to hear more from you.  I told my wife, Kiana, “This guy is saying all the things I have been saying and writing about for years.”

CHARLES: We are on the same wavelength, Bill.  I believe that, while being proficient in effective techniques is very important, we should not strive to just be good technicians but true physicians.  The technician loves the technology; the physician loves the patient.

 

Koch: Yes! I believe that our first priority should always be what is best for the patient.

CHARLES:  I think of what we do as a healing martial art, and we are the healing Jedi of the 21st Century.

 

Koch: I love that analogy, Eugene.  “May the force be with you.”

At the risk of sounding like a salesman for your course, I must say that I consider it a great value.  When you consider the fact that most weekend seminars give you only 12 hours of CE credit, this course can provide 100 hours of CE without the cost of travel and time out of the office.  I really like the DVD format, because it allows you to review the material as often as necessary while providing a permanent reference library.

CHARLES: Thanks, Bill.  That is why I decided to do a DVD program.  It could easily take three years to get the information in this course.

 

Koch: I want to leave our readers with one of your favorite quotes:  “The universe is not to be narrowed down to the limits of our understanding…but our understanding must be stretched and enlarged to take in the image of the universe as it is discovered.”   Sir Francis Bacon


Eugene Charles, D.C., DIBAK, received his doctor of chiropractic degree from Los Angeles College of Chiropractic in 1987 and his Diplomate degree in applied kinesiology in 1994.  He currently teaches the postgraduate course certifying doctors of all disciplines in applied kinesiology.  The same 100-hour course is now available on a professionally edited DVD series with workbooks.

Dr. Charles may be contacted through his website www.charlesseminars.com or at 1-800-351-5450.

 

Dr. Bill Koch is a 1967 Cum Laude graduate of Palmer.   After 30 years of practice in The Hamptons, NY, he retired and moved to Abaco, Bahamas, where he and his wife Kiana travel by boat to provide Chiropractic care to the residents of the remote out islands.  Dr. Koch, author of Chiropractic the Superior Alternative, writes, a blog: Mentoring Young Chiropractors http://DrWilliamHKoch.com and is working on two new books, ChiroPractice Made Perfect and The Out Island Chiropractor. He may be contacted at [email protected]

Chiropractic for Pregnant Women: Interview with Karen Gardner Bagnell, D.C.

pregnantchirofebFor more than eighteen years, Dr. Karen Gardner Bagnell has studied the mechanisms of breech and transverse presentations, pregnancy and delivery. Dr. Gardner Bagnell has guest lectured at The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and Chestnut Hill Hospital in Philadelphia on the importance of Chiropractic care during pregnancy, labor and the post partum period, as well as at the American Association of Birth Centers on Optimal Fetal Positioning at Penn State. She is currently on the faculty at chirocredits.org and is continually featured in chiropractic, pregnancy and midwifery publications. Dr. Karen Gardner Bagnell has a family practice which focuses its attention on children and pregnant women.

TAC: Dr. Gardner, give us some background information on yourself.

GARDNER: I graduated from Life College in 1993.  I have two children.  Both were delivered naturally.  The home birth of my son was featured on the television series “A Baby Story.”  I only agreed to do the show if the producer guaranteed that pre-natal chiropractic care would be emphasized and highlighted.  She agreed and the rest is history.

I have written two books on pre-natal chiropractic care that are in three chiropractic schools in America and also in Columbia University School of Nursing.  I am currently putting the finishing touches on the book that I hope will serve as a text on the subject for chiropractic schools worldwide.

TAC: What inspired you to become a chiropractor specializing in pregnancy issues?

GARDNER: When I was a student at Life, I had cared for two pregnant women.  I was so nervous and unprepared for the challenges and questions I had about pre-natal care.  I absolutely hated feeling unqualified and unsure of myself and my abilities as a doctor.  Then and there, in the tenth quarter, I decided that I will never feel that way again and started reading everything I could find on the pregnant female pelvis.  I learned how and why the alignment of the pelvis and its support ligaments affects the position of the baby and the course of labor and delivery.  I also discovered how and why a specific chiropractic adjustment can change all of that.

TAC: Who would you consider to be your mentor?

GARDNER: My mentor would have to be my dad.  He grew up in a very poor family and knew the only way he could avoid the same life as an adult was to get an education and work for it.  He went into the air force immediately after high school and used the GI bill to start his college career.  He worked and went to school at night.  Family day was Saturday and he studied all day on Sunday.  He put family as a priority and I’ll never forget that.  He taught me, by his actions, that the only place that success comes before work is in the dictionary.  He was the first in his family to graduate college; I was the second.

:quoteright_open:When a woman presents with a breech baby, that’s when it really gets fun for me.:quoteright_close:

TAC: What are your specialties and can you tell us some more about them?

GARDNER: Caring for pregnant women is definitely one of my specialties, as is cranial adjusting.  When a woman presents with a breech baby, that’s when it really gets fun for me.  I see each case as an opportunity to help someone like no other practitioner can.  I see it as a challenge and a gift at the same time.  Each time a baby turns, and on the rare occasions when it does not, I learn something.  I take exhaustive notes so that I can be better the next time for the next expectant mom.

I started getting interested in cranial work after my own experience with migraine headaches sent me to seek out that specialty for correction and relief.  Once I achieved amazing results with my chief complaint, I decided to look into learning as much as I could about this healing art as well.  Now I’m starting to see amazing correlations with the cranial bones of a mom to be and breech presentations.  I’m always amazed at the working of the human body.  We are truly astounding creations.

TAC: How long does it take a chiropractor to learn this method of adjusting specifically associated with breech presentation?

GARDNER: To become certified in the technique takes eleven months through online seminars, book learning and hands on workshops.  The technique, itself, is very uncomplicated.  There is an order of spinal analysis that should be adhered to for optimum results.  It may take a while to memorize that order, but anyone can learn the technique in a day.

TAC: Is this a different method than how you treat patients that are pregnant presenting for pain syndromes?

GARDNER: While there are certain patterns of subluxation and misalignment that occur with various chief complaints of pregnancy, such as sciatica, heartburn and Meralgia Paresthetica, our analysis and correction remain universal.  We find something that needs to be corrected, we correct it and the innate healing ability of the human body takes it from there.

TAC: You mentioned to me that you had been investigated by some people associated with Stephen Barret.  Can you comment on that?

GARDNER: A number of years ago I was tipped off by an anonymous e-mail that I was a “person of interest” to the quackbusters and their community.  The Pennsylvania State Board received an allegation from a man named Terry Polevoy, from Canada, that I was practicing obstetrics without a license.  Even though the allegation was completely fabricated, the State board’s policy is to investigate all claims of impropriety.  For six months I was investigated and, of course, the claims were dismissed because they were ludicrous to begin with.  I was left feeling like, “You know what, quackbusters?  Not only am I going to continue my work with pregnant women, but I’m going to teach other chiropractors how to care for pregnant women, too.”  In essence they were the impetus for me to get out there and start sharing what I know.

pregnantchiro2febTAC: Which techniques do you use and why?  Do you use any diversified, Thompson, Activator?

GARDNER: In addition to the obvious Bagnell Technique; I use my own combination of SOT, AK, Thompson, Diversified, Gonstead, Activator and Upper Cervical.  Each technique offers such wonderful elements in varying ways and I choose which pieces I need to best serve my practice member and then use them.  SOT and Activator are two of my favorites, because they are so low force and gentle on the very pliable pregnant woman’s ligaments. 

TAC: What type(s) of diagnostic testing procedures do you use and why?

GARDNER: Muscle testing, similar to Applied Kinesiology is what we like to use for analysis.  It provides instant feedback to both practice member and doctor and lets everyone know if corrections were made.  If the muscle was weak before the adjustment, it should be strong after the adjustment.  If it isn’t, we missed something.  We also use The Tytron Thermal Scan.  It’s a fantastic tool to educate our moms-to-be and for us to get a clearer picture of the integrity of their spine without exposing them and their babies to ionizing radiation.  pregnantchiro3febWe uncovered an amazing pattern in the mom’s spine when she is carrying a breech baby.  When that pattern changes, we can pretty much guarantee the baby has turned into a vertex position.  It hasn’t been wrong yet.  Of course, it’s just an in-house observation.  We haven’t done an official study on it.  Maybe I’ll add that to my ever-growing To Do list.

TAC: Tell us two or three of your most amazing patient success stories.

GARDNER: We have so many success stories, but there are two stories that I will never, ever forget.  I had just adjusted a mom for the first time.  She was about 36 weeks pregnant.  She was in the prone position and needed to get supine so I could adjust her pubic bone with an instrument.  I adjusted the pubic bone and then palpated for her round ligament to see if there was any residual spasm that needed working on.  As I was palpating, her abdomen started moving like crazy.  It looked like a wrestling match was taking place and then, all of a sudden, it stopped.  We both looked at each other and started to cry because we had watched a miracle happen.  Her baby turned right in front of me.  I get teary eyed even to this day and this was over 10 years ago.

The second amazing case involved a woman whose baby never turned before labor started.  She was so sad and broken hearted that she’d have to have a c-section.  She continued to get adjusted right up until her labor began on its own.  Because her midwife knew the value of labor even with a scheduled c-section, this mom-to-be labored for several hours before going to the hospital.  As she arrived at the hospital, her water broke and the baby turned!  She avoided a c-section and delivered vaginally.  Another miracle and another c-section avoided.

:quoteright_open:We work very closely with area midwives, doulas and OB/GYNs.:quoteright_close:

TAC: What marketing strategies do you use to attract new patients and to keep current patients?

GARDNER: The most effective way to reach pregnant women is to reach out to the other people who care for them.  We work very closely with area midwives, doulas and OB/GYNs.  We stay in contact with them about our mutual patients through follow-up phone calls and/or reports.  We don’t ask them for referrals; instead, we teach them how and why to refer to us.  We then, of course, thank them for referring.  Gratitude is so important.

We initially discover, during consultation, what our new practice members expect from us.  We then give them a care plan based on our knowledge and experience with similar cases to theirs and their expectations.  It’s a win-win.  They follow the care plan because it’s what they choose in the first place.  We also perform routine progress exams and spinal scans to monitor their progress and continued need for care.  We don’t just say, “You need to keep getting adjusted.”  Instead, we show them why they need to continue getting adjusted.

TAC: What is the success rate you have with your technique?

GARDNER: Success rate in our technique is a little higher than 96%, on average.   Gestational age, mother’s age, abdominal surgeries, uterine size and shape, as well as mother’s stress level all have bearing on the success rate.  Our success rate is on the incline just recently, as we have incorporated cranial work and homeopathy in the more “stubborn” cases.

 

You may contact Dr. Bagnell at [email protected]. More information can also be found at www.pregnancychiropractic.com.

Neuro Modulation Technique: Interview With Dr. Leslie Feinberg

We live in what is often called “the age of information”. In recent decades the United States has been making the transition from a major producer of manufactured goods to a major provider of information as the primary national product.

The healing arts with all of its specialties and sub-specialties has also been experiencing a transformation. Every profession is using what is called “energy medicine” in day to day practice. Each uses some form of energy producing device in one way or another.

Lasers and light therapy are being used for everything from eye surgery to killing toe nail fungus. Likewise ultrasound is used in imaging as well as blasting away kidney and gall stones. Other energy producing devices are used to facilitate a healing response, stimulate the immune system and relieve pain. These are only a few applications of energy in health care. New ones are being discovered and implemented every day.

Information is energy directed by human attention and intention. We experience it in our numerous levels of consciousness.

Dr. Leslie Feinberg is a pioneer in what he calls “Informational Medicine.” His quest has taken him into realms of science and human experience that make most people’s head spin: Quantum Physics and Quantum Mechanics, the time space continuum, the nature of matter and energy, thought and consciousness.

What in the world has this got to do with Chiropractic?

Perhaps everything — if you subscribe to the idea that the primary role of Chiropractic is to correct the cause of DIS-EASE.

Interestingly, our profession’s founders D.D and B.J. Palmer had a great awareness of what we are now calling “energy and informational medicine.”

D.D. wrote of the importance of the existence of “quality interference” over and above that of ”quantity interference” in the cause and effect relationship between health and disease. “Quality Interference” is in the realm of consciousness, while “quantity interference” is in the realm of the physical, as in the vertebral subluxation complex.

B.J. said that “we often must adjust the mind, before we adjust the spine.” I believe that If D.D. and B.J. were alive today, geniuses that they were, they would be very interested in Dr. Leslie Feinberg’s NEURO MODULATION TECHNIQUE. I think that they might see Dr. Feinberg’s work as dealing with the ultimate cause of DIS-EASE.

 

KOCH: Les, NMT is the most unusual Chiropractic methodology I have ever experienced. It is different on every level in that it is non mechanistic. Its language is different, but, in the final analysis, your ultimate objective in your application of NMT is the same as that of any other Chiropractic procedure. The same to a point, but you go beyond the usual objectives of conventional Chiropractic. Please give us your explanation of what NMT is about.

FEINBERG: Let me give you a brief personal background. I graduated From Western States College of Chiropractic in 1979. While there I studied traditional Chiropractic technique. I was president of the Gonstead Club and I studied AK extensively. They were my primary techniques in practice and I still use them when the traditional approach is called for. So let me be clear, I recognize and understand the importance of the Vertebral subluxation Complex, but I found a way to identify, and treat a level of interference that supersedes it. It is interference on an informational level, the “quality interference” you mentioned earlier and that which D.D. and B.J. understood and spoke of in their writing.

 

KOCH: Energy and information have to be at the top of the hierarchy in terms of importance. They are truly elemental. It is easy to imagine how any aberration of them can only lead to an unhealthy state.

FEINBERG: That’s correct, Bill. D.D. spoke of significant contributing factors of dis-ease such as trauma, toxins and autosuggestion. A contemporary definition of ‘autosuggestion’ would include things such as invalid thoughts, emotions, and memories that are stuck in the deepest recesses of our conscious and sub-conscious mind. NMT (generically) refers to these as “Informational faults.” These faults misdirect the mind-body and cause confusion that is the informational basis of disease.

NMT evaluates the impact of physical, chemical and mental/emotional factors or belief systems that are stressing the human organism.

NMT procedures create heightened awareness of informational fault programming errors that sabotage health. The mind-body is innately self-correcting.  Once more accurate self-awareness exists in the system, the mind-body naturally releases illness behavior and makes physiological choices that lead to healing.

 

KOCH: Is it correct then to say that the objective of NMT is to transform the individual energetic and informational environment from one that fosters pain and ill health to one that is conducive to healing and wellness? The question is how do you do it? It isn’t psychotherapy or psychiatry, so what is it really?

FEINBERG: NMT began when I discovered that I could create condition specific sets of questions to reveal illness producing informational confusion and related corrective statements to retrain the mind-body to more efficient function. The first one I identified was the sensory motor pathway. The patient was my office manager who was having a persistent and very painful rotator cuff condition of her shoulder. I decided to ask specific questions of the body, informed by my understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the neuromusculoskeletal system. I was able to identify sensory end organ signaling, CNS processing error, unbalanced motor innervations that were responsible for the condition. I then re-directed the mind-body to be aware of these errors and to reset its sensory perceptions and motor responses. The result was instantaneous relief of pain and restoration of balanced strength. I recognized then that the same kind of self-survey and retraining of function could be applied to any health issue.

 

KOCH: I understand that. We all have cases that do not respond, ones which in spite of our best efforts constantly re-subluxate for no apparent reason. The answer in these cases does not lie in more and adjustments. The solution is in uncovering a deeper underlying cause. It seems that you have developed a system to do that which has eluded the rest of us. So what is it that you do?

FEINBERG: Yes, if the problem is one of what DD and BJ called quality interference at the brain level, focusing on only the spinal level can’t get to the root problem. Through a series of questions organized into what we call NMT pathways, and answered directly by the body, not verbally but through muscle testing, we can uncover incorrect mind-body perceptions that cause it to choose illness producing behavior. One example is allergy or autoimmune inflammation, clearly illnesses the body inflicts on itself through bad physiological choices.

I have now established 90 different pathways attached to a vast array of diseases and conditions. There are also many crossovers from one pathway to another. You have to follow where it takes you.

 

KOCH: That makes sense. It is a system of analysis and re-training, not a cook book.

FEINBERG: That’s right. The NMT practitioner has this broad set of tools, our system of NMT pathways and forms that serve as a template for the NMT session and each session unfolds according to the particular body responses to our questions, guiding each session to address the issues the body recognizes as highest priority in the context of the presenting complaint. I have collaborated with a talented NMT practitioner who is also a computer programmer and we have recently released a computerized system, the NMT-Treeview software that makes this whole process very fast and efficient.

KOCH: It sounds like a very sophisticated flow chart: 

FEINBERG: Yes, Bill that’s just what it is.

KOCH: Les, I know that you have experienced consistent success with a variety of cases and conditions that defy conventional wisdom. Things like anaphylactic reactions, dental cavitations, and other degenerative conditions. You have proof in the form of hard evidence of your results. I would suggest that anyone interested in knowing more about what NMT has to offer, that they visit your website and then perhaps talk to you. All they need to do is put aside their preconceived ideas of how health and healing works and open their mind.

Marketing Machine

Marketing Machine

Interview with Steven Visentin, D.C.

 

The American Chiropractor recently heard about an e-book written by Dr. Steven Visentin (SV), Blow Your Head Off: Practice Building Secrets. Dr. Visentin graduated  from the National College of Chiropractic and decided to practice in  Denver, Colorado, for its excellent quality of life.  Unfortunately for him, many other chiropractors had the same idea and the Denver economy tanked in 1983.  He states, “when you’re in a town that’s saturated with competition or has a bad economy, you must innovate or perish”.  He had to develop unique systems to attract new patients because other marketing systems did not work well in areas like his.   
Read on to learn how this writer of a marketing ebook who owns a chiropractic clinic, has managed to attract over 18,000 new patients as a solo practitioner.

 

Continue reading “Marketing Machine”

Restoring Energy Balances in the Body A Straight Chiropractor Re-thinks Acupuncture

Interview with Dr. John Amaro


 

John A. Amaro DC, L.Ac., FIAMA, Dipl.Ac. (NCCAOM), Dipl.Med.Ac., is an internationally known author, lecturer and practitioner. He began his practice of Acupuncture and Chiropractic in 1971. He has led 13 diplomatic Acupuncture study tours of The People’s Republic of China escorting more than 500 doctors and practitioners. He has personally studied acupuncture in nine separate Asian nations. He is the founder and president of the International Academy of Medical Acupuncture which has taught Acupuncture to more practitioners than any other organization in North America. The list of all of his credentials is too long to print in this article, but I would urge the reader to visit http://www.emi4.com/bio_dramaro.php.

Dr. Amaro and I have spent many hours in conversation, comparing our Chiropractic backgrounds, philosophy and practices. I was surprised to find that we share the same core values and philosophy. His and my practices are remarkably alike, as is our basic technique approach and practice management style. Continue reading “Restoring Energy Balances in the Body A Straight Chiropractor Re-thinks Acupuncture”

Can Cloud Computing Really Save You Thousands Annually?

Interview with Steven J. Kraus, D.C., D.I.B.C.N., C.C.S.P., F.A.S.A., F.I.C.C.

His vision to elevate the profession and increase chiropractic access

The American Chiropractor recently heard about a new Electronic Health Records (EHR)/practice management software product from Future Health that the company has decided to give away free. Like many of you, we wondered, “What’s the catch?”  So we sat down with Future Health Founder and Chairman Dr. Steven J. Kraus (SK) to find out if “free” really means “free.”
Read on to learn why the owner of a software company insisted on giving his company’s latest software away free and why he thinks it’s a surefire investment in the future of chiropractic.

Continue reading “Can Cloud Computing Really Save You Thousands Annually?”

RAISING STANDARDS

Vern Temple, D.C., has been part of the testing community for nearly thirty years, first as a member of the Vermont Board of Chiropractic Examination and Registration, National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) delegate for the state of Vermont and, subsequently, as an NBCE Director for the past seven years, six years as District III Director and this past year as Director-at-Large. In May 2006, he was elected President of the NBCE.

“The Third-party assessment by the NBCE assures colleges, licensing boards, practitioners, and the general public that a practitioner is competent and ready to practice.”

Dr. Temple is a 1977 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic, a Diplomate of the American Board of Chiropractic Orthopedists and has served as past chair of the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards and past president of the Vermont Board of Chiropractic Examination and Registration. His private practice is located in Bellows Falls, Vermont, where he lives with his wife, Shelley. In his spare time, he enjoys running and bicycling, as well as building Stickley reproduction furniture—not that there is much spare time for any Director on the National Board.

In an interview with The American Chiropractor magazine (TAC), Dr. Temple expresses the role the NBCE plays in the regulating process of chiropractic, and how they have enabled chiropractors across the nation to achieve greater freedom in choosing the state in which they would like to pratice, while simultaneously elevating the minimal standards of the profession as a whole.

TAC: Dr. Temple, give us some background on the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners.

Temple: The NBCE was incorporated in 1963 in response to the needs of state licensing boards to standardize assessment of chiropractors. State boards, collectively, urged the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards to commission a study group that eventually resulted in the organization and incorporation of the NBCE. Prior to that, licensure in states varied from state to state.

The NBCE is designated by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(6) non-profit corporation. Our corporate composition begins at the state/district level. States, arranged geographically into five districts, name delegates and alternates to attend the NBCE annual meeting. At that meeting, district delegates nominate a person to serve as district director; this nomination is then voted on by the entire delegate body. Two seats are appointed by the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards and four seats are elected as Directors-at-Large by the Board of Directors.

The NBCE Board of Directors annually elects an Executive Committee, including Chairman of the Board, President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. These officers act as the principal liaison between the Board and the management team. The President is the primary spokesperson for the Board.

The NBCE’s primary responsibility is to produce examinations of the highest caliber to assess competency so that state boards can rely upon the results for licensure. We currently deliver seven different exams. Pre-licensure examinations test basic science (Part I), clinical science (Part II), clinical competency (Part III), and Part IV assesses clinical practice in the areas of diagnostic imaging, adjusting technique and case management.

Let me pause a moment to say that the wide acceptance or requirement by fifty states for Parts I, II, and III, and forty-eight states for Part IV make me the most proud of the work of the NBCE. With passing scores in each of these exams, a doctor has unprecedented mobility to practice in the United States. Each year, the use of chiropractic increases in the United States, so the third party validation of chiropractic training assures the general public of safe and reliable care.

Two optional, elective exams are available and can be taken with the Parts I, II, and III written exams. Physiotherapy assesses physiological therapeutics and related areas while the acupuncture exam assesses techniques, basic treatment tenets and protocols, safety, hygiene and other areas in the field of acupuncture.

Two of the post-licensure examinations that we have produced at the request of state licensing boards are the Special Purposes Examination for Chiropractic (SPEC) Ethics and Boundaries (E&B). Occasions arise when it is necessary for state licensing boards to re-assess the clinical competency of licensed practitioners or to assess their knowledge of ethics and boundaries issues. At the request of a state board, a licensed doctor may be required to demonstrate proficiency in conditions generally encountered in chiropractic practice (SPEC). The E&B exam is useful when ethical misconduct, sexual misconduct or harassment have been encountered in practice and a state board needs assurance that the doctor is ethically fit to practice.

We will soon introduce an optional, computerized assessment test called Chiropractic College Assessment Test (CCAT) designed for students thinking of a career in chiropractic. CCAT will evaluate a student’s abilities in problem solving, quantitative reasoning, biology, chemistry and physics. There is a high correlation between passing the CCAT and successfully completing chiropractic college.

TAC: Tell us more in depth about the development of NBCE exams.

Temple: The NBCE Part I and II exams to test basic science and clinical science knowledge are based on the results of a Delphi study. Chiropractic college faculty from all schools are surveyed to obtain a consensus about the subject matter and emphasis to be given in these exams.

Content for Parts III and IV exams are determined as a result of the job analysis survey of practitioners, which is conducted by the NBCE every five years. This survey of randomly selected chiropractors provides information on the specific tasks they perform, the amount of time they spend engaged in a task, the importance of the task, etc.

The NBCE doesn’t only rely on surveys. Test committees meet regularly at the NBCE to participate in this process. Each exam has a well-defined test plan that serves as a blueprint for the topics to be covered. By the time a student actually takes an exam, it has been reviewed an estimated twenty times by professionals ranging from chiropractic college faculty to subject specialists, state licensing board members, on-site consultants, grammarians and statisticians.

The process doesn’t stop there. Even after the exams, questions are statistically analyzed; questions that don’t show a positive correlation between selecting the correct answer and selecting other correct items on the entire test are carefully researched. From all this, you can understand the complexity of test development and our responsibility to ensure fair, reasonable and legally defensible examinations. The bottom line is that we strive to make each exam as consistent and as perfect as possible.

TAC: What are your goals for the chiropractic profession?

Temple: The NBCE’s most important goal is to consistently administer exams of the highest quality, exams that are fair, and that are legally defensible if a challenge arises. The third-party assessment by the NBCE assures colleges, licensing boards, practitioners, and the general public that a practitioner is competent and ready to practice. The NBCE is widely respected for consistently meeting this challenge, not only in the chiropractic profession, but also among testing experts in other professions, such as the Association of Test Publishers.

In my first year as President, the Board has concentrated on creating a culture of transparency and accountability. Growing in our understanding of best practices in governance will provide the foundation for the NBCE to be a leader in non-profit organizations.

From a personal perspective, my goal for chiropractic is to see the profession mature and unify, thus building a stronger chiropractic profession and ensuring our appropriate place in providing health care to the public.

TAC: What are some of the most common complaints the NBCE has fielded with regard to their testing process?

Temple: The cost of the exams is probably the most common complaint from students; chiropractic colleges and state licensing boards are also interested in keeping the exams affordable.

Concerns about the costs of exams do not fall on deaf ears. The Board continually balances needs against the requirements of state licensing boards for state of the art chiropractic exams. That being said, the cost of test development, administration, fixed and variable overhead, etc., all influence fee structure. In comparison with other professions, such as dentistry, osteopathy and medicine, NBCE exams costs are among the most affordable.

Associated with concerns of cost are questions as to why the examinations have not yet been computerized. Investigation into computerization has shown that there would be a significant if not doubling of the costs and the benefits received have been determined to not be worth such a sizeable increase.

Another question from students is about the eligibility requirements for Part IV that require students to pass Parts I and II before they can apply for Part IV. The Board of Directors has explored this question and believes that the current requirements serve the needs of the greatest number of students, colleges and state boards. Current requirements allow most students to progress efficiently through the exam process and into licensed practice. These requirements enhance the likelihood that students are academically prepared for final stages of NBCE exams and give them the best chance of passing Part IV on the first attempt.

TAC: Acknowledging that the chiropractic profession has a very diverse array of opinions of what is happening in the Vertebral Subluxation Complex, how time relevant is the test material to what is being used in clinics today?

Temple: Again, NBCE exams reflect the scope of practice of the licensing jurisdictions of fifty states for Part III and forty states for Part IV. These exams are developed through a job analysis survey of current practitioners from every state, so we can be certain that students are being tested on material that is relevant. As I mentioned earlier, the job analysis survey is conducted every five years. Surprisingly, we find from the job analysis that the biggest factor that determines how a chiropractor will practice is not based on which school he graduated from or from his political association, but is most influenced by the scope of practice in the jurisdiction in which he practices, making the diverse array that you ask about actually much narrower.

Correcting the vertebral subluxation is tested in the technique section of Part IV. Again, this portion of the exam is constructed by technique instructors from all of the chiropractic colleges. The challenge for the NBCE is not the diverse array of opinions but the diverse array of nomenclature making it difficult to present test questions uniformly.

The NBCE is providing to state licensing boards and to the general public the assurance that the entirety of a licensed practitioner’s knowledge of clinical practice is sufficient, not just in the vertebral subluxation complex, but in every area of clinical practice.

TAC: Are there any plans to provide funding so that students in financial need may pay for NBCE exams rather than allowing the financial strain of exam taking to filter out those who cannot afford to pay?

Temple: Any plans that created a lending or grant relationship between the NBCE and examinees would be fraught with potential complications and ultimately result in increased costs to all other examinees.

Students often ask if costs of the National Boards could become part of their tuition. This would have to be an arrangement between the student and their college and could not involve the NBCE; however it is our understanding that the Federal student loan program does allow schools to request inclusion of exam fees.

The NBCE petitioned the Department of Veterans Affairs to cover NBCE exam fees. This lengthy process was an NBCE initiative that provides help to veterans.

TAC: What is the biggest problem or challenge you see in the chiropractic profession today?

Temple: Personally, I believe that chiropractic is a profession that has not unanimously defined itself or its role in health care. A profession is not and cannot be defined by just one or several people. We should not allow ourselves to be defined by individuals or characters that do not represent the entire profession. This needs to be agreed upon by the entire profession. When we all our very clear as to who we are, then we will gain the respect we deserve. At times when health care is changing so rapidly, we confuse everybody by having varying opinions about the scope and practice of chiropractic. Professional unity and respect within chiropractic is essential if we are to improve our image and acceptance in the public eye.

Another challenge is the funding of research to expand and document the benefits of chiropractic care. Research and funding at the academic, private and public organizations must be moved higher on the profession’s list of priorities.

TAC: Where do you see the future of chiropractic headed?

Temple: Double digit inflation of health care costs, an aging society, and a public that is truly demanding more ownership of their health care, using less invasive treatment and decreased use of pharmaceuticals, makes me optimistic and excited about the future and the kind of care we can deliver.

Globally, chiropractic is exploding. Through the NBCE’s establishment of the International Board of Chiropractic Examiners, we have pilot tested exams in Japan, Brazil and Cyprus. The future of the profession will be greatly enhanced by the standardized assessment of practitioners and the NBCE/IBCE is proud to serve in this endeavor.

TAC: Any final words for our readers?

Temple: Thank you for the opportunity to talk about the NBCE. I am extremely proud of our organization and grateful to the state licensing boards, associations, colleges and students who partner with us in challenging and building the future of this profession.


Visit www.nbce.org or call 1-800-887-4320.

Interview with Leander Eckard, D.C.

Dr. Leander Eckard attended his first year of chiropractic college at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, in 1959 and 1960. He transferred to Cleveland College in Kansas City and graduated from there in 1964. Upon returning to his home in Spokane, Washington, he opened his first practice in late 1964. He practiced in the state of Washington until 1990, when he was injured in a private aircraft accident. From the mid-80’s until 2005, he served on the board of Parker College of Chiropractic.

Dr. Eckard has adjusted a large number of his colleagues since he introduced a motorized flexion distraction table in 1981 that has since changed the way many chiropractors treat their patients. He subsequently has made spinal adjustments on over a self-proclaimed “one million subluxated spines.”


In an interview with The American Chiropractor (TAC), Dr. Eckard provides some of his thoughts on the future of chiropractic, and challenges chiropractors may face in the coming years.

 

TAC: What are your goals for the chiropractic profession?

Eckard: My goal for the chiropractic profession is to elevate its level of understanding and help each chiropractor realize a greater degree of success in practice.

 

TAC: What is the most common problem you see among chiropractors today?

Eckard: The most common problem I see today is a lack of skill level by chiropractors to allow each practitioner to correct the patients’ spinal problems.

 

TAC: What is the biggest problem or challenge you see in the chiropractic profession today?

Eckard: Chiropractic is still an unknown to the masses.

 

TAC: Can you think of one change that a chiropractor can do to significantly impact his/her practice’s growth immediately?

Eckard: Yes, develop a service attitude to make yourself available to the greatest number of patients that you can possibly serve, regardless of the patient’s ability to pay…. And don’t worry about how much money you are not making but on how much good you are doing!

 

TAC: Do you have any recommended marketing strategies that chiropractors can do to attract new patients and to keep current patients?

Eckard: Yes, and it works everytime. It helps to get new patients, and to keep existing ones. It is the most simple and easy thing to do. Go out and put on lay lectures two or three times a week, at different times of the day, on a consistent basis. The doctor must lead these lectures and then make them mandatory for new patients.

 

TAC: What single piece of advice would you give a new chiropractor just starting out?

Eckard: Get over yourself! Get a service attitude.

 

Dr. Eckard can be reached by phone at 1-208-245-5308 or email [email protected].