Cervical artery dissection (CAD) is a common source of stroke in young adults that has been associated with chiropractic manipulation. It is a topic that continues to be studied by many in the profession. Among those who have researched and developed a deeper understanding of the association is Michael P. Moore, DC, MHA, PhD. His interest in CAD was piqued during his PhD dissertation and has continued since then and expanded into sharing what he knows with others to help raise awareness and improve patient care.
Dr. Moore is a second-generation chiropractor from South Texas. He graduated from Texas Chiropractic College and later earned a Master of Health Administration degree and a PhD in Higher Education Administration: Educational Leadership. He has opened and operated a successful chiropractic clinic, served as a corporate risk manager, administered a self-funded workers’ compensation plan, and served as a post-acute healthcare administrator. Dr. Moore joined Parker University in 2018 and serves as its Differential Diagnosis course director.
During his ACA Engage 2026 education session “Headaches, Red Flags, and Cervical Artery Dissections” (1 CE), Dr. Moore will will equip learners with relevant, up-to-date headache information that is immediately applicable in the clinical setting. Learners will engage in an active discussion centered around a peer-reviewed cervical artery dissection case study.
Learn more about Dr. Moore’s upcoming session in the Q&A with him below, and plan to attend Engage 2026.
Q: How is the topic you are presenting at Engage 2026 relevant to today’s chiropractor?
Case reports and hearsay have long linked chiropractic care and cervical artery dissections. Despite years of research, there are individuals within and outside the profession who do not fully understand the relationship between cervical artery dissections and chiropractic care. For those who desire to know more about this relationship as well as how to identify patients suffering from a cervical artery dissection, this presentation is for you.
Q: What makes you an expert in this area?
My expertise in this area is a result of research and study that began during the literature review of my PhD dissertation.
Q: What first interested you in this topic?
My interest in this area was piqued while writing my PhD dissertation. The dissertation studied didactic chiropractic patient safety education. Cervical artery dissection was therefore a topic researched during the study’s literature review.
Shortly after completing my dissertation, I began teaching subject matter that included cervical artery dissections. Colleagues were soon encouraging me to share the content with other chiropractors.
Q: Can you provide some takeaways from your presentation that Engage 2026 attendees will not want to miss?
After participating in my education session, attendees will understand the relationship between chiropractic care and cervical artery dissections. Attendees will also be equipped to recognize the common signs and symptoms found in patients experiencing a cervical artery dissection.
In addition, learners will be able to describe common carotid and vertebral artery dissection presentations, identify headache red flags, and understand the reasons for their occurrence, describe common primary headache presentations, differentiate dissections from other headache sources, and properly manage a dissection in progress.
Q: How many times have you attended or presented at ACA Engage in the past?
This will be my first time presenting at ACA Engage.
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Engage 2026 will take place Jan. 22-24, 2026, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Va. In addition to presentations from chiropractic thought leaders and clinical experts, the conference features continuing education (CE) programs, professional and leadership development, networking opportunities and the profession’s only federal lobbying day, Chiropractic’s Day on the Hill. For more information, visit acatoday.org/engage.
