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.

Chronic pain symptoms and the ability to manage and cope with them can be strongly influenced by what are generally referred to as psychological factors. These factors have the capacity to substantially hinder clinical improvement, cause symptom aggravation and reduce self-management capacity. Though these concepts are well-supported in the scientific literature, they are not inherently usable. Practical methods of revealing relevant psychological factors are needed. To explore whether psychological factors are clinically relevant, clinicians can ask questions during the consultation and/or use one of several screening questionnaires.

Chiropractic is widely respected in the world of dance. Just like professional football or baseball players, dancers use chiropractic care to keep their bodies feeling pain free and able to perform at their full potential. The American Chiropractic Association just happens to have two members who are former dancers now studying to become doctors of chiropractic while also serving on the Student American Chiropractic Association National Board. These are the unique journeys of James Walters and Holly Stephens, and how their experiences as dancers led them to pursue a career in chiropractic.

The Interprofessional Collaborative Spine Conference, set for Nov. 8-9 in Pittsburgh, Pa., will bring together members of the chiropractic, osteopathic medicine and physical therapy professions to tackle topics related to manual therapy and its use in treating low back pain and other conditions. As part of the presentation “Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) Competency, Safety and Risk Management Presentations,” Michael Seffinger, DO, a professor at the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences, discusses the osteopathic approach to ensuring the appropriateness and safety of cervical spine manipulation for patients.

This year, National Chiropractic Health Month focuses on how improved musculoskeletal health leads to strength, stability and ultimately the success of a life lived more fully and actively. The 2019 campaign, “Strength. Stability. Success.”, offers the public steps to take toward bone, muscle and joint health, low back pain prevention, better posture, and improved balance. In this blog post, ACA offers chiropractors steps to take to launch their local NCHM campaign participation.