Something we can all unite behind

by Terry A. Rondberg, DC, President, World Chiropractic Alliance

Last September, Dr. Larry Markson, CEO of The Masters Circle, wrote an editorial about the need for unity in our profession. In it, he stated that “a profession that is fragmented as to (its) purpose or philosophy usually becomes stagnant and loses whatever power is necessary to succeed ... let our leaders make unity a priority and put us on the right path and most assuredly we will witness a metamorphosis that will quickly change apathy to passionate participation.”

Although I vehemently disagree with the way he sought to accomplish that unity (by merging all chiropractic organizations into one monolithic group), I do share his desire for our profession to adopt a united vision and purpose. Ironically, the class action lawsuit aimed at The Masters Circle might turn out to be the catalyst for a more unified profession, one in which we can truly work together toward a common goal.

“The attack on The Masters Circle is, at least in part, an attack on chiropractic. Yes, I realize that The Masters Circle training manuals can be misinterpreted when taken out of context.  But as someone who has been often criticized for “telling it like it is,” I understand the problem they faced.”

But, basically, they’re being sued for what they’re recommending, not for how they’re recommending it. They’re being sued for urging doctors to view chiropractic as an integral part of a patient’s wellness regimen, as fundamental as good nutrition, exercise and hygiene. The Masters Circle program teaches clients how to break through the “short term fix” mentality that’s so ingrained in most people.  They advocate a 12-visit cycle of care between re-evaluations, in order for patients to receive the most benefit from chiropractic.

I’m sure there are a few individuals out there who would not benefit from 12 chiropractic adjustments, but they’re the one-in-a-million exceptions to the rule. Can you imagine telling patients to make sure they ate properly for the next 12 days, and then go back to their normal junk food diet? Or teaching patients to do rehab exercises but telling them to try them three times and see if it “cures” them?

Of course not! Wellness is not an overnight phenomenon. We can’t expect patients to receive maximum benefit from chiropractic care if we, or they, think of it as a short-term pain-relief therapy. For that, they can go to their MD and get a prescription for pain killers or to an osteopath for manipulation. Chiropractic has to offer more than that, and it does.

What chiropractic offers that no one else does is a long-term, subluxation-based wellness care concept that is suitable for all people, including children and asymptomatic patients. THAT is the concept around which the entire chiropractic profession can and should unite. And that is the concept being attacked in the lawsuit against The Masters Circle.

If the plaintiffs win the case, it will become a legal precedent that could be used to argue against any long-term chiropractic care -- and our opponents will interpret “long term” as anything over 12 visits.  It won’t matter if the patient came to you presenting with a chronic health problem that can’t be resolved quickly, or if the patient was merely an enlightened individual who wants to receive regular adjustments as part of a wellness routine. What next? Should we send them to an MD after two or three adjustments? Do we risk being sued if we don’t provide a progress report on every visit?

Not long ago, we rallied around the ill-fated (and inaccurately named) “Save Our Subluxation” campaign. Many of us still feel gun shy about getting up on another bandwagon, but I truly believe that we need to focus on the real issues involved in this lawsuit and realize that it can have a devastating impact on our entire profession. It doesn’t matter whether you like The Masters Circle or the people involved in it or if you think their training manuals were poorly written. Keep in mind that this case isn’t about improper clinical care -- after all, the patient failed to win her initial lawsuit against the DC who provided the care. This class action lawsuit isn’t about the quality of care given to the plaintiff’s son; it’s about the concept of long-term maintenance or wellness care. It’s a battle between the quick-fix mentality and the chiropractic lifestyle concept.

Having said all that, the question remains “what can we do to help?”

The Masters Circle isn’t asking for donations to a legal defense fund, so you can put your check book away. There are, however, three things we can do to help:

1.  Speak out in support of the long-term wellness care concept promoted by The Masters Circle. Don’t let loud mouthed detractors (including a few within our own profession) sway you by their vicious verbal attacks. Either ignore them or tell them where they can put their rants.

2. Join at least one organization willing to speak out in favor of long-term wellness care, such as the World Chiropractic Alliance, which is willing to testify in court that chiropractic is NOT a short-term therapy and that long-term care offers benefits for all people.  In fact, join two or three! Having many associations willing to step forward to defend subluxation-centered maintenance or preventive care is better than having just one organization do so, no matter how large it is.

3. Support chiropractic research -- such as the RCS (Research & Clinical Science) program -- that will produce proof of the safety and benefits of long-term wellness chiropractic care. Once we have the scientific research to back us up, we won’t have to worry about these types of lawsuits. People will be flocking to us for regular adjustments and no one will be counting to see if they’ve reached their “limit.”

Larry Markson said, “We intend to defend this lawsuit vigorously. We are confident that in the end, we will win.”

I trust they will, because if they don’t win, we’ll all lose.