Today I read the article in Dynamic Chiropractic about the conflict between the Texas Medical Association (TMA) and the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners. The mds have brought suit against the chiropractic board for allowing chiropractors to diagnose. The TMA’s position is that diagnosis is part of the practice of medicine. They are going after alternative approaches that want to treat medical conditions without the expertise/license of an m.d. or d.o. and chiropractic is their first target.
Ordinarily, I would not get into a battle between mds and dcs but as I read the article, and with the events of the past few years, I began to wonder whether I should ignore it. Live and let live has not worked for us straights. We naively believed that if we got our schools and an accrediting agency we could go our way and the mixers could go theirs. But in the past 25 years since that battle began it has become obvious that the mixers are not interested in a live and let live philosophy. They are threatened by our philosophy. I think they know that we represent a position that organized medicine could get behind. Consequently, they are forcing their therapeutic philosophy on us whether we want it or not. I present as facts for that position:
1. They fought against and destroyed our accrediting agency.
2. They closed down two of our straight schools despite the fact that the graduates proved they were competent-passing state boards and being productive members of the profession.
3. They have forced the only remaining straight school to incorporate procedures that are in conflict with the non-diagnostic philosophy.
4. They are forcing the school to teach P.T.
5. They are pushing for a doctor of chiropractic medicine degree. Why would that be? Will we be forced to acquire/use that degree?
6. The are pushing for the right to prescribe drugs. Will that lead to the requirement to do so?
Unless you are blind or have your head in the sand, you can see what their intention is, for the profession and ALL of its members. We are not an alternative to them or a fringe aspect of the profession. We represent a major obstacle in carrying out their master plan. We have the exact position that the TMA has and a way to explain that approach to chiropractic, one that is consistent with both the medical viewpoint on this issue and true chiropractic.
Here is my question; should we offer our support to the TMA legal suit? Should we offer the ammunition, the testimony and whatever else they need in order to present a rational chiropractic approach to their position? Should we get involved as individuals, should Sherman get involved, should the FSCO? This TMA suit is the greatest threat to the master plan of ACA/CCE/NBCE for controlling the profession and turning it into a branch of medicine. I would like some input. I believe this suit may be the last hope to preserve chiropractic as BJ and DD envisioned it. For this reason I believe that those who would medicalize our profession will stop at nothing (and I mean nothing) to accomplish their ends. Should we stand by and allow that to happen or should we take a stand and incur the wrath of perhaps thousands of chiropractors who would see us as a threat to their livelihood? I need some input from all of you and others who may read this blog. Sept. 29, 2010
