Spinal manipulation, so long maligned by the medical establishment, is now being reconsidered by those very doctors in the light of new evidence. And chiropractic physicians are becoming more widely recognized as leaders in biomechanical care. It has not. The reasons certainly include a variety of outside antagonistic forces. But chiropractors would do best to focus on the role we have played, are playing, and can play in the unfolding of events.
Chiropractors have a clear and legitimate claim to a small piece of that turf.
Our claim must be asserted powerfully. To the extent that we build solidly, we prepare for a future where this turf is enlarged. If instead we are distracted by claiming territory which is not ours or by seeking the unattainable, we risk losing everything. Not long ago, for instance, the chiropractic profession's scientific leadership was focused on responsibly reporting the ground breaking RAND report, The Appropriateness of Spinal Manipulation for Low-Back Pain. However, so many chiropractors and chiropractic organizations misquoted the results of that report that the main author Paul Shekelle, MD, PhD, was forced to publicly disavow 1 these distorted promotions.