Congress of Chiropractic State Associations

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Logo of the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations. Cocsa logo.png
Logo of the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations.

Congress of Chiropractic State Associations (COCSA) is a nonprofit organization formed with the mission of promoting a more unified profession for chiropractors.

Contents

Activities

The organization hosts an annual conference which serves as a platform for the leaders in each state's chiropractic association to meet and share ideas to better serve their members. [1] [2] [3]

In April 2002, they organized National Backpack Safety Month. [4]

Class action

In 2011, the group sued UnitedHealth Group and OptumHealth. [5] In November of that year, Foot Levelers gave them a grant for $25,000 for the COCSA's participation in their speakership program. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chiropractic</span> Form of pseudoscientific alternative medicine

Chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially of the spine. It has esoteric origins and is based on several pseudoscientific ideas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vertebral subluxation</span> Chiropractic concept

In chiropractic, a vertebral subluxation means pressure on nerves, abnormal functions creating a lesion in some portion of the body, either in its action or makeup. Subluxations are not necessarily visible on X-rays.

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated is an American multinational health insurance and services company based in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Offering insurance products under UnitedHealthcare, and health care services and care delivery aided by technology and data under Optum, it is the world's eleventh-largest company by revenue and the largest health care company by revenue, and the largest insurance company by net premiums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Life University</span> Private university in Marietta, Georgia, U.S.

Life University is a private university focused on training chiropractors and located in Marietta, Georgia, USA. It was established in 1974 by a chiropractor, Sid E. Williams.

The National Association for Chiropractic Medicine(NACM) was a minority chiropractic association founded in 1984 that described itself as a "consumer advocacy association of chiropractors". It openly rejected some of the more controversial aspects of chiropractic, including a basic concept of chiropractic, vertebral subluxations as the cause of all diseases. It also sought to "reform the chiropractic profession away from a philosophical scope of practice and towards an applied science scope of practice." It stated that it was "dedicated to bringing the scientific based practice of chiropractic into mainstream medicine" and that its members "confine their scope of practice to scientific parameters and seek to make legitimate the utilization of professional manipulative procedures in mainstream health care delivery." "While the NACM is focused on furthering the profession, its primary focus is on the rights and safety of the consumers." The NACM was the object of much controversy and criticism from the rest of the profession. It quietly dropped out of sight and its demise apparently occurred sometime between May 30, 2008 and March 6, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards</span>

The Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards, based in Greeley, Colorado, is a non-profit organization which facilitates the coordination and communication of the 50 individual United States' chiropractic licensing boards.

Chiropractic education trains students in chiropractic. The entry criteria, structure, teaching methodology and nature of chiropractic programs offered at chiropractic schools vary considerably around the world. Students are trained in academic areas including scopes of practice, neurology, radiology, microbiology, psychology, ethics, biology, gross anatomy, biochemistry, spinal anatomy and more. Prospective students are also usually trained in clinical nutrition, public health, pediatrics and other health or wellness related areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of chiropractic</span> History of chiropractic

The history of chiropractic began in 1895 when Daniel David Palmer of Iowa performed the first chiropractic adjustment on a partially deaf janitor, Harvey Lillard. Palmer claims to have had principles of chiropractic treatment passed along to him during a seance by a long-dead doctor named Dr. Jim Atkinson. While Lillard was working without his shirt on in Palmer's office, Lillard bent over to empty the trash can. Palmer noticed that Lillard had a vertebra out of position. He asked Lillard what happened, and Lillard replied, "I moved the wrong way, and I heard a 'pop' in my back, and that's when I lost my hearing." Palmer, who was also involved in many other natural healing philosophies, had Lillard lie face down on the floor and proceeded with the adjustment. The next day, Lillard told Palmer, "I can hear that rackets on the streets." This experience led Palmer to open a school of chiropractic two years later. Rev. Samuel H. Weed coined the word "chiropractic" by combining the Greek words cheiro (hand) and praktikos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palmer College of Chiropractic</span> Private chiropractic college in Davenport, Iowa, United States

Palmer College of Chiropractic is a private chiropractic college with its main campus in Davenport, Iowa. It was established in 1897 by Daniel David Palmer and was the first school of chiropractic in the world. The college's name was originally the Palmer School and Cure and later became the Palmer School of Chiropractic. Most early chiropractic schools were founded by Palmer alumni.

Throughout its history, chiropractic has been the subject of internal and external controversy and criticism. According to magnetic healer Daniel D. Palmer, the founder of chiropractic, "vertebral subluxation" was the sole cause of all diseases and manipulation was the cure for all disease. A 2003 profession-wide survey found "most chiropractors still hold views of Innate Intelligence and of the cause and cure of disease consistent with those of the Palmers". A critical evaluation stated "Chiropractic is rooted in mystical concepts. This led to an internal conflict within the chiropractic profession, which continues today." Chiropractors, including D.D. Palmer, were jailed for practicing medicine without a license. D.D. Palmer considered establishing chiropractic as a religion to resolve this problem. For most of its existence, chiropractic has battled with mainstream medicine, sustained by antiscientific and pseudoscientific ideas such as vertebral subluxation.

Osteomyology is a multi-disciplined form of alternative medicine found almost exclusively in the United Kingdom and is loosely based on aggregated ideas from other manipulation therapies, principally chiropractic and osteopathy. It is a results-based physical therapy tailored specifically to the needs of the individual patient. Osteomyologists have been trained in osteopathy and chiropractic, but do not require to be regulated by the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) or the General Chiropractic Council (GCC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Chiropractic Association</span>

The British Chiropractic Association (BCA) was founded in 1925 and represents over 50% of UK chiropractors. It is the largest and longest established association for chiropractors in the United Kingdom. The BCA have implemented campaigns regarding awareness of many modern technologies and the injuries that can result from them, such as RSI from smartphone and laptop use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Federation of Chiropractic</span>

The World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) (French: La Fédération Mondiale de Chiropratique (FMC); Spanish: La Federación Mundial de Quiropráctica (FMQ)) is an international consulting body representing chiropractic to the international health care community.

The International Federation of Sports Chiropractic is an international organization which promotes sports chiropractic around the world. It is composed of national sports chiropractic councils, or national associations, from many countries such as Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Turkey, United States, and the United Kingdom. FICS is a global leader in Sports Chiropractic and helps provide equitable access to sports chiropractic care, education, mentoring, and research for all athletes and sports chiropractors at the regional, national, and international levels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friends of Science in Medicine</span> Australian association which supports science-based medicine

The Friends of Science In Medicine (FSM) is an Australian association which supports evidence-based medicine and strongly opposes the promotion and practice of unsubstantiated therapies that lack a scientifically plausible rationale. They accomplish this by publicly raising their concerns either through direct correspondence or through media outlets. FSM was established in December 2011 by Loretta Marron, John Dwyer, Alastair MacLennan, Rob Morrison and Marcello Costa, a group of Australian biomedical scientists and clinical academics.

Clarence Selmer Gonstead was an American chiropractor. He created the Gonstead technique. He established a large chiropractic facility in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin.

Dr. Sidney E. Williams, known primarily as Dr. Sid, was a chiropractor most well known for establishing the largest single-campus chiropractic school, Life University. Williams was also president of the International Chiropractors Association, serving as its seventh president from 1982 to 1985, and was an instrumental figure in the creation of Life Chiropractic College West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erle V. Painter</span> American chiropractor and athletic trainer

Erle Vansant Painter, or Doc, was an American chiropractor and athletic trainer for the Boston Braves (1929) and New York Yankees (1930–1942). He also helped direct the Brooklyn YMCA, and was a professor at Florida Southern College. Due to his role as trainer for the Yankee organization he was credited with "modernizing training methods for professional athletes".

Foot Levelers is a foot care, footwear, and whole body health company based in Roanoke, Virginia, and owned by Kent S. Greenawalt.

Anti-vaccinationism in chiropractic is widespread, but there are notable differences within the trade. Chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine founded on the idea that all disease is caused by disruption of the flow of "innate" in the spine, by so-called vertebral subluxations – a pseudoscientific concept. Over time chiropractic has divided into "straights" who adhere to the subluxation theory and "mixers" who adhere more closely to a reality-based view of anatomy. "Straight" chiropractors are very likely to be anti-vaccination, but all chiropractic training tends to reduce acceptance of vaccines.

References

  1. "Chiropractor attends conference". The Daily Times. 1 December 1996. Retrieved 1 December 2019 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  2. "Helena chiropractor represents state". The Montana Standard. 23 November 1986. Retrieved 1 December 2019 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  3. "Salisbury chiropractor attends Texas convention". The Daily Times. 5 December 1997. Retrieved 1 December 2019 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  4. Strassel, Kimberley A. (5 April 2002). "Awareness Daze". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  5. "Congress of Chiropractic State Associations, COCSA, ERISA, class action complaint". Chiropractic Economics. 9 May 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  6. "Foot Levelers, Congress of Chiropractic State Associations, COCSA". Chiropractic Economics. 15 November 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2019.

Further reading