1. We are a diverse group and the 80% of the mainstream majority has far more in common than not. We respect that chiropractic care is not for pain only, but acknowledge that is the primary reason for seeking care. Improving quality of life, function and encouraging healthy lifestyles under a holistic mindset has always been a staple of chiropractic care.
2. The profession has seemed to eclipse a tipping point and has moved on from the endless debates that focus on our identity and language and instead has moved towards our role in meeting a large societal need: musculoskeletal and spinal health.
3. It is fair and necessary to respectfully call out deviant beliefs, behaviours and practices. It's not asking too much for the small amount of practitioners, schools and associations on the fringe to take a scientific position on vaccination, radiography and claims made about manipulation and joint dysfunction.
4. Evidence based practice is not evidence only practice. I see this misinterpretation frequently. There is art to practice, there is uncertainty and grey zones. But we are well trained in ruling out crazy and have the necessary skills that have evidence: reassurance, education, manual therapies, exercise, lifestyle modifications and a wise referral, if need be.
5. It is worth persevering with this #EPIC project. We are seeing great gains being made in terms of integration, cultural authority, in some jurisdictions utilization, and certainly in the quality of our research and the strength of evidence which basically supports largely the interventions we've been using for over a century.
All in all, IMO, I think the profession is turning a corner, but we need to remain steadfast and united against extremist elements in our profession and appreciate the 'art' of clinical practice which research is unlikely to adequately capture.
#science #chiropractor #chiropractic #research #education #evidence based #patient centered #interprofessional #collaborative #public health #spinal health #musculoskeletal health #ethics
