January 2021 Health Newsletter

The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) convened a leadership roundtable this month to explore issues related to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in chiropractic. The EDI Forum featured a diverse panel of chiropractors who shared not only relevant data but also their personal experience and thoughts on how diversity in the chiropractic profession can be improved. The EDI Forum, the first of its kind organized by the ACA Committee on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, aimed to continue conversations that ACA began three years ago that resulted in a 2018 diversity statement acknowledging cultural agility as "a foundation for competent healthcare delivery to improve patient outcomes and engage in public health initiatives." "For the past three years [the members of the committee] have been instrumental in developing a strategic roadmap for ACA leadership on issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion. We have made great progress in our efforts and will continue to improve upon our work in the coming year," noted ACA President Robert C. Jones, DC, in his opening remarks. "We have the capacity to contribute to a more equitable world through the lens of public health," added William Foshee, DC, chair of the committee. Keynote speaker Dionne McClain, DC, who is the first African American to serve on the California Board of Chiropractic Examiners, encouraged attendees to step out of their comfort zones to learn more about the history of explicit and implicit bias against minorities and how cultural competency can positively impact health access and outcomes. She underscored the urgent need for the chiropractic profession to learn and adapt to meet the needs of the American population, which data shows is becoming increasingly diverse. In addition to Dr. McClain, the EDI Forum panelists included Michaela Edwards, DC, president of the American Black Chiropractic Association; Angel Ochoa-Rea, DC, president of the National Gay and Lesbian Chiropractic Association; and ACA Committee on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion members Joshua Lederman, DC, and Nakiesha Pearson, DC, who also served as moderator. The group touched on several issues throughout the two-hour discussion. Among other things, they agreed the profession could serve minority communities better by enhancing the cultural competency of providers. Attracting more minority students to chiropractic colleges and having more minorities represented in leadership positions within the profession were also cited as key factors in enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion in a meaningful way long term.

It’s concerning that many have taken a sort of inactive position when it comes to their health and inherent ability to get and stay well. We have moved towards becoming a sick or ‘unwell’ nation seeking ‘health’ through the services of a medical physician - a physician who most commonly provides a solution written on a prescription pad. The reality is that there are safe, natural and highly effective ways for us to overcome disease, get well and maintain good health and wellbeing. In a large review just published in the British Medical Journal, researchers from Britain's London School of Economics and Harvard and Stanford universities in the United States found no statistically detectable differences between exercise and drugs for patients with coronary heart disease or prediabetes, when a person shows symptoms that may develop into full-blown diabetes. Most of us already have the inherent tools to fight disease if we make the right choices - something doctors of chiropractic understand. If you’d like to learn more about improving your health the natural way, call your local doctor of chiropractic today!

A growing amount of research indicates those suffering from depression, loneliness and other mental health issues can be at risk for addiction to excessive internet usage. A new study shows similar findings with Facebook usage. Facebook addiction or intrusion arises when Facebook usage begins to negatively impacting one’s day-to-day activities and interpersonal relationships. In this recent study, 672 Facebook users were assessed utilizing questionnaires to determine their degree of Facebook addiction and current level of depression, if any. Researchers found those individuals with higher depression scores suffered from higher levels of Facebook addiction. Additionally, their time spent online was also associated with the degree of Facebook addiction - the more time online, the more Facebook addiction. However, time spent online alone was not associated with depression. These findings indicate that Facebook and likely other social media websites have a heightened attraction to those suffering from depression and addictive behaviors. Findings also identified those with the highest risk of becoming addicted to Facebook - young males spending an extensive amount of time online.