In the past year, many chiropractors have discussed indications for radiographic examination with renewed interest. In particular, they have questioned the X-ray recommendations of the Choosing Wisely initiative, a project of the American Board of Internal Medicine that seeks to promote more effective use of healthcare resources. The recommendations are hardly revolutionary, and well in line with current radiology education. In my own final radiology classes, professors emphasized that what we learned was only the foundation of what we would need in practice, and a mere fraction of what our peers would learn should they choose to become chiropractic radiologists. The recommendations in Choosing Wisely are shorthand for what we already know. 

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common cause of dizziness and vertigo. The condition is characterized by brief episodes of dizziness, nausea, and/or nystagmus triggered by head movement. Over 7 percent of the population will experience BPPV at some point in their lifetime and 80 percent of those patients will require medical treatment. Chiropractors are uniquely suited to differentiate BPPV from the similar-looking cervicogenic vertigo. Both conditions are very amenable to treatment; however, each is managed quite differently. Successful outcomes are predicated upon a solid understanding of both.

As the second session of the 115^th Congress nears the election, members of the House of Representatives and the Senate recently agreed on a comprehensive legislative package to help end the scourge of opioid addiction.  The opioid issue, which federal and local legislatures across the country have been grappling with for several years, will soon see more federal dollars being focused on ways to help alleviate the destructive force associated with the addiction. 

The U.S. Senate today passed by a vote of 93-6 legislation that ensures that sports health professionals traveling to another state with athletic teams remain covered by their malpractice insurance. The bill now advances to the president’s desk, where it is expected to be signed into law. As lawmakers drafted the legislation, the American Chiropractic Association worked to ensure that doctors of chiropractic, along with other providers, were included in the bill’s final language. 

As any population ages, cognitive decline becomes more of an issue. Maintaining a physically active lifestyle has been shown to help reduce age-related cognitive declines and incidence of dementia. This research review focuses on a systemic review with meta-analysis summarizing the evidence specific to cognitive benefits of exercise for people over 50. Prior research has shown conflicting results, due in part to the use of restrictive inclusion criteria. However, the results of this review show promise for both aerobic and resistance training.

Every year Sept. 15-Oct. 15 is recognized as National Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States. According to the United States Census Bureau, there are 58.9 million individuals of Hispanic heritage, making this group the largest minority group at 18.1 percent of the U.S. population.¹ The data set, part of the department’s National Hispanic Heritage Month fact sheet, indicates a 10-state block with more than 1 million individuals of Hispanic heritage. ACA's new Commission on Diversity is developing projects and resources to help expand access to information about ACA and chiropractic to Spanish speakers as well as other populations.

A new cohort of residents has joined the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system’s Chiropractic Residency Program this year. Three chiropractors participating in the program – Vivian Ly, DC, Danielle Aslan, DC, and Dr. Jamie Zeman, DC – will continue ACA’s blog series on the residency program over the next year, sharing their experiences as well as lessons learned working as part of an integrated hospital team.

More than 120 Student ACA (SACA) members gathered Sept. 7-9 in Milwaukee, Wis., for the 2018 SACA Leadership Conference, an annual event promoting leadership development and community building. “The Leadership Conference is the place where it all seems to come together, where attendees not only learn how to be better leaders and better future healthcare providers, but also how to be great colleagues and even friends,” writes student Jocelyn Tierney, SACA national vice chair. Highlighting the event was a diverse line-up of the profession’s leaders, who shared their insights on leadership and personal development.

On Sept. 6, 2018, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed H.R. 302, the “Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act of 2017.” The legislation, also referred to as “Travel to Treat,” would ensure that sports health professionals are covered by their malpractice insurance while traveling to another state with athletic teams. As lawmakers drafted this legislation, the American Chiropractic Association worked to ensure that doctors of chiropractic, along with other providers, were included in the bill’s final language.

It has been just over a year since many in the chiropractic profession first learned that the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) joined more than 80 medical specialty society partners to participate in an initiative that is sponsored by the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation. This initiative’s mission is to “promote conversations between clinicians and patients by helping patients choose care that is supported by evidence, not duplicative of other tests or procedures already received, free from harm, and truly necessary.” It is called the Choosing Wisely campaign¹ and it has generated more spirited discussion among doctors of chiropractic than I can recall since release of the Mercy Conference Proceedings in 1993.