The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) is committed to providing reliable information about chiropractic care as well as clarifying misinformation that may cause confusion. With the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the public’s need for accurate information to make good choices for themselves and the health and safety of their families has never been greater.

Just before midnight on March 25, the Senate unanimously passed H.R. 748, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a $2.2 trillion economic relief package—the largest in U.S. history—in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The bill was then sent to the House of Representatives and on March 27, it was passed by a voice vote and sent to the White House where President Trump signed it into law (Public Law No: 116-136). The CARES Act contains several provisions of importance to the chiropractic profession and the ACA has prepared an initial summary. 

Effective communication is a known factor in creating a strong therapeutic relationship. Therapeutic relationships can facilitate patient adherence to therapy, satisfaction with care and improved outcomes; they have also been associated with reduced malpractice claims. This article addresses aspects of communication which are key to building therapeutic relationships in chiropractic practic

While the majority of musculoskeletal cases respond quickly and favorably to conservative care, some conditions are less cooperative. When a patient is not meeting outcome goals, evidence-based chiropractors must be willing to abandon their familiar recipe, and “do something different.” In a value-based healthcare model, there’s a vast difference between merely treating someone vs. delivering best practices. The essential step for improving clinical outcomes is to provide the most effective care for every patient on every visit—including those cases that challenge us.

As doctors of chiropractic, we graduate “practice-ready,” meaning that based on our rigorous training we are qualified to immediately enter the workforce. While this designation accurately reflects our training, is this the most beneficial approach for both individual practice and as a collective unit within the evolving modern-day healthcare system? While conceptually I understood the value of a residency before I started my VA experience, I needed to immerse myself fully to recognize the advantages that a program like this offers, not only personally but collectivistically to the entire profession.

If you run into ACA member Sherri LaShomb, DC, of Lewiston, N.Y. these days, you might want to greet her with kon'nichiwa – Japanese for hello. LaShomb has been brushing up on her Japanese ever since learning that she was chosen to be one of a select group of healthcare volunteers who will support athletes competing at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan this summer. 

Chronic pain symptoms can be quite different from acute pain symptoms.¹ One possible reason is sensitization, a process whereby neurons become more responsive to pain signals and/or translate non-painful stimuli into pain. Part 1 of this series described general neuro-adaptive processes leading to sensitization and clinical diagnostic criteria. Here in Part 2, management strategies for persons with sensitization are described.

Practitioners use symptoms to guide clinical evaluation and treatment. For example, chest pain on exertion suggests possible need for cardiac evaluation. Pain is a symptom we are trained to explore by asking questions such as, “How severe is your pain?” and “Where is the pain located?” We ask these questions because the answers help point us in the direction of a diagnosis. However, pain symptoms are sometimes unreliable. For people experiencing chronic pain, symptom characteristics may not match patterns found in acute cases. The physiological basis for this alternate pain experience can be the result of peripheral or central sensitization. 

The Engage 2020 Conference Daily brings you information and announcements to help maximize the ACA Engage experience, as well as news and highlights from the day's events. In this issue: the McAndrews Leadership Lecture, presentation of the Chiropractor of the Year Award and other award winners.

The Engage 2020 Conference Daily brings you information and announcements to help maximize the ACA Engage experience, as well as news and highlights from the day's events. In this issue: the House of Delegates meeting, Board of Governors and other leadership elections, Annual Awards, and more.