When searching for low-risk, cost-effective modalities possessing the ability to aid practitioners in the treatment of non-complicated musculoskeletal complaints, research must lead the way. Often, we see the newest and the latest technology or apparatus put forth as the cure for everything we have been waiting for. Low-level laser (LLLT) has, on the surface, the appearance of the latest and greatest apparatus. But what research is out there backing up claims commonly seen with low-level laser marketing in the healthcare field?

The World Health Organization (WHO) held its 71^st Assembly May 21-26, 2018 at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva. WHO is the directing and coordinating authority on international health, and uses the annual Assembly to set norms and standards for ethical and evidence-based healthcare policy. I had the honor of attending the Assembly this year as part of the World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) delegation. Over four days of plenary sessions, committee meetings, and technical briefings, I observed an impressive breadth and depth of operations at WHO—and a chiropractic profession that is primed for more meaningful engagement with the broader public health community.

In her open letter to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Healthcare, ACA Senior Scientific Advisor Christine Goertz, DC, PhD, offers suggestions to NCCIH on how to meet some of today's pressing healthcare challenges and, in particular, how complementary and integrative health care can play a role. She writes, "We desperately need a healthcare delivery system 1) that is able to consistently provide evidence-based, patient-centered care to the right individual at the right time, 2) for which the patient care trajectory for chronic conditions begins with the safest, most conservative, effective option available and, 3) that empowers patients and providers with the knowledge and tools they need to make informed decisions that are deeply rooted in disease prevention and health promotion. Much work lies ahead in identifying how CIH practices can best contribute to this effort."

*Member-Exclusive Content* The United States Bone and Joint Initiative (USBJI) developed in 2011 as a continuation of the work of the United States Bone and Joint Decade, which began in 2002. The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) was an original founding member of the United States Bone and Joint Decade and has held a seat on the board since the beginning. USBJI’s mission is to advocate for and promote multidisciplinary, coordinated and patient-centered care to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. To that end, it has launched a number of programs to advance knowledge and improve patient care. 

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