Bob Mulcahy, D.C. ICA Massachusetts Representative

ICA Report March 2018

It’s been an incredibly exciting year for Chiropractic and the ICA which has been hard at work promoting and protecting Chiropractic around the world. I will highlight some of the key issues:

Spreading The Chiropractic Message: President Dr. George Curry and a team of ICA doctors have taken two trips to China on 7-10 day long trips to spread the message of Chiropractic in huge stadiums and on the radio. Dr. Curry & ICA has also missioned in the DR, Haiti, and India.

ICA employs full time lobbyist, Beth Clay. With Beth’s help Chiropractic is making great strides with our new Medicare Bill. A summary of the Bill is below.

• Coverage for Acute and Chronic conditions. (not just acute care)
• Payment for Exams, X-rays, and Adjustments.
• Our bill would allow DC’s to Opt Out of Medicare…Yay for all the cash practices out there!
• Includes fair reimbursement clause meaning DC’s would be reimbursed at the same rate as other peers with similar levels of training.
• Keeps the present “Subluxation” terminology in the definition!

US Politics: 

• ICA continues to advocate the appropriate use of X-ray in the detection and correction of Vertebral Subluxation and related biomechanical purposes.
• ICA, along with 28 other organizations, state associations, and schools, rejects the “Choosing Wisely” document which states, “In the absence of red flags, do not obtain spinal imaging (X-rays) for patients with acute low-back pain during the six weeks after the onset of pain. Do not perform repeat spinal imaging to monitor patients’ progress.”
• ICA believes that these recommendations are out of line with the established standards of chiropractic practice and ignores the large body of clinical and outcomes data that demonstrates the utility of X-rays. ICA’s, heavily referenced, best practice guidelines supports the use of X-ray as a diagnostic tool in detecting and monitoring vertebral subluxation.

International Politics

• ICA has been assisting out doctors in Canada who have been under attack by their regulatory stating efficacy and evidence issues with chiropractic care. “Due to the absence of acceptable evidence supporting such claims, registrants must NOT represent to patients or the public that chiropractic: (a) can be used to treat diseases, disorders or conditions such as: Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, diabetes, infections, infertility, or Tourette’s syndrome, or(b) has any beneficial effect on childhood diseases, disorders or conditions such as: ADHD (or ADD), autism spectrum disorders including Asperger syndrome, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, or developmental and speech disorders. The above list of diseases, disorders or conditions is neither final nor conclusive. Absent acceptable evidence, registrants are not free to make claims about the effectiveness of chiropractic in treating a disorder, disease or condition simply because it is not included in the list.”
• The Australian Health Minister along with the AMA President Condemn Chiropractors. This outrage against Chiropractors in Australia came after a YouTube video was posted of a DC performing an inverted assessment of an infant followed by an instrument adjustment.

Opioids: ICA has met with politicians at state and federal levels offering evidence that the use of chiropractic care is a clinically effective means of reducing the use of, and in many cases eliminating the need for, many prescription pain medications.

Drugs: Many groups within the US and Canada continue to push for prescriptive rights. ICA has always and will always continue to reject this direction. ICA has a zero tolerance stance on this issue.

For more information visit www.chiropractic.org or email drbob@mulcahychiropractic.com

Sincerely,

Bob Mulcahy