Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation Endorses Joint Statement Rejecting WFC, ACA and Parker's Conclusions Regarding Chiropractic and Immunity

The Board of Directors of the Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation (FVS) have endorsed the profession wide Joint Statement rejecting the recent claims of several organizations including the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), Parker University, and the World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) denying scientific evidence of the connection between chiropractic and immunity. The Joint Statement has been signed by over 30 national, international, professional and trade organizations representing tens of thousands of chiropractors around the world.

CLICK HERE to review the Joint Statement

"A growing body of evidence supports the role of the nervous system in immune system function. Furthermore, basic science studies and clinical reports in the scientific literature provide evidence of the potential, beneficial effects of chiropractic care in improving function, including immune system function and quality of life." stated Christopher Kent DC, JD President of the FVS.

The overwhelming response by so many national, international, professional and trade organizations representing tens of thousands of chiropractors comes after the World Federation of Chiropractic released a highly biased and flawed hit piece masquerading as a review of literature asserting that there was no credible evidence for chiropractic's role in immune function.

Immediately following the release of the hit piece several state chiropractic regulatory boards including Texas and Wisconsin endorsed the document and sent threatening notices about discussing immunity to chiropractors licensed in their states. Parker University's President and their Director of Research produced a video and went on Facebook reinforcing the WFC's statements and the American Chiropractic Association went on television making the same claim. In the United Kingdom, several organizations there also stated there was no scientific evidence supporting claims that chiropractic could boost immunity.

The FVS immediately responded to the WFC document in a detailed rebuttal in two languages demonstrating that the real motive of the flawed document was to silence chiropractors from discussing the impact of the nervous system on the immune system by chiropractic.  

CLICK HERE for the FVS Review

The WFC document has now been used to encourage the public and chiropractors to file complaints against chiropractors that remain open during the Coronavirus pandemic or who mention the role of chiropractic in immunity and health.  

The Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation stated:

"This is a political response masquerading as a scientific pursuit" with ". . . the use of amorphous and undefined terms such as 'credible' leading to cherry-picking based on dogma."

The Foundation found widespread bias in the “rapid review” by the WFC researchers stating:

"The credibility of the review should be questioned even further because some of the authors are known critics and deniers of vertebral subluxation theory and clinical practice."

In addition to responding to the WFC's flawed document and signing on to the Joint Statement, the FVS has embarked on a multi-pronged approach to evaluate chiropractic, vertebral subluxation and immune function in an evidence informed framework.

Several documents have been produced and are being prepared for publication including:

• Chiropractic, Vertebral Subluxation and Immune Function: A Multi-Pronged Project to Address Fundamental Questions in an Evidence Informed Framework
• A Scoping Review of Chiropractic, Vertebral Subluxation and Immune Function with Implications for the Development of a Protocol for Measurement of Immune Biomarkers in Chiropractic Research & the Development of Related Policy
• A Scoping Review of Salivary Tests for Immunoglobulin A, Cortisol and C-Reactive Protein and the Measurement of Immune Biomarkers in Chiropractic Research
• A Prospective Longitudinal Health Outcomes Study Evaluating Immune Biomarkers and Quality of Life in Subjects Undergoing Management of Vertebral Subluxation - Research Protocol

According to Matthew McCoy DC, MPH, Vice President of the FVS: "The conclusions of the WFC and their followers are based on flawed methodology, a grossly incomplete review of the literature, unfounded interpretations of the results of the studies, and bias demonstrated by the authors. And this is only after a preliminary review. The scoping review we just completed has over 120 references supporting chiropractic's role in the neuro-immune connection."  

For more information about the Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation and its Research Agenda please contact us.

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ABOUT Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation

The mission of the Foundation is to advocate for and advance the founding principles and tenets of the chiropractic profession in the area of vertebral subluxation through research, education, policy and service.