When treating athletes, it's essential to work collaboratively with other members of the healthcare team and to understand their unique needs, according to Lisa Thomson, DC, CFMP, NRCME. She discusses the importance of knowing how to communicate effectively with other types of providers when treating athletes in her upcoming Engage 2020 talk, "Building a Better Athlete: A Team Approach." During the presentation, she will also review some of the most important movement patterns for optimal athletic performance.   

Engage 2020 education program presenter James Cox, DC, DACBR, the developer of Cox® Technic Flexion Distraction Manipulation discusses his upcoming talk, “Translational Research on Cervical Spine Treatment Using Cox® Distraction Protocols: Basic Science to Clinical Science,” which features important findings of a National Institutes of Health federally funded study.

Chiropractic educational research is a long-standing, important practice for improving the quality of education in our degree programs. Additionally, chiropractic research related to techniques and patient outcomes can have meaningful contributions. This has been demonstrated through the development of student research in many other healthcare professions.  However, not much is known about how much prospective and current students are aware of this body of research, including how it informs their choice of a career in chiropractic and a specific program, or how it impacts their education and influences their career paths. 

With all the career options available for today’s chiropractic students, how does one narrow the field and identify the right path? That question weighed heavily on Keiser University student Casey Rogers…until his clerkship at the Miami Veterans Affairs (VA) health system. That’s where Rogers discovered not only an appreciation for treating the deserving men and women who have served our  country, but also his passion for the VA's multidisciplinary, team-based approach to care. 

The emphasis of data-directed outcomes is altering how insurance companies make payment decisions. Doctors can adopt proactive, instead of reactive, approaches to assessment and documentation that demonstrate the patient improvements needed to show medical necessity. Functional outcomes are metrics that will represent patient improvement. Mat DiMond, DC, a presenter at Engage 2020, ACA's upcoming annual meeting, discusses this topic in a Q&A with ACA Blogs.

With October past and National Chiropractic Health Month 2019 behind us, the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) would like to thank everyone who participated in this year’s “Strength. Stability. Success.” campaign, raising public awareness of the importance of musculoskeletal health. It was encouraging to watch as members of the profession spread the word about NCHM using resources from our campaign toolkit. In some cases, individuals and groups went above and beyond our expectations. Here we share a few highlights from the campaign.

Dry needling has become an accepted procedure for the management of myofascial trigger points, offering a viable option to pain medications and surgical intervention. The procedure can also be applied to specific muscle motor points, spinal segments, and other structures including ligaments, tendons and joint capsules for pain relief. In clinical practice it is often used in conjunction with other physical medicine procedures and modalities to manage pain and improve function. 

The American Medical Association (AMA) announced in September the release of the 2020 Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code set featuring 248 new codes, including two that focus on dry needling. The newly developed codes for dry needling will be available for use by any qualified healthcare professional beginning Jan. 1, 2020.

Being sensitive to cultural differences in your patient population not only can enhance patient care but also help expand your practice, according to ACA Engage 2020 presenter Gerald Stevens, DC, an associate professor at New York Chiropractic College. Dr. Stevens discusses the value of such an approach in this Q&A with ACA Blogs. ACA’s annual meeting becomes ACA Engage in 2020: The new name is part of the association’s ongoing efforts to engage a new generation of chiropractors and position all members for success by bringing them advocacy and leadership-development opportunities, networking events and cutting-edge education programs.

As an institution that serves more than 9 million veterans nationwide, the Veterans Health Administration provides a unique environment for patient care with both the patient and provider experience being quite distinct when compared to other healthcare settings. However, one constant no matter what the setting may be is that the patient, and in this case the veteran, should remain at the center of clinical decision making. In my short time as a VA resident, I have discovered that the first step in maintaining a veteran-centered approach to care is preparation.