Many leaders that have historically advocated for the traditional, conservative side of the profession such as Gerry Clum have come out and basically told chiropractors to "just do it" in regards to masks and other questionable practices during the "pandemic" despite the controversies over the science.
Clum recently issued a scathing rebuke of chiropractors in Washington State telling them of the "realities" of practicing right now. In a video sent out to Washington State Chiropractors Clum stated:
Clum's comments were directed at what he described as "recalcitrant activity and behavior on the part of practitioners" stating that noncompliance with masks and other measures will force the Governor to conclude that chiropractors present a "threat" and that the ability of chiropractors to practice "could be stopped in Washington State in the blink of an eye."
Clum goes on to scold chiropractors regarding mask wearing and other unscientific measures stating:
"Your adjustments are no more or less effective with or without a mask. Your adjustments are no more or less effective without hand sanitizer. But you do protect your patients, you do protect yourself and you protect the right of each and every chiropractor to stay in practice and avoid possible sanctions and activity on a state level."
Clum is the Director of Healthcare Policy and the Octagon at LIFE University. LIFE has recently gone after faculty for questioning LIFE's mask policy in a shocking display of silencing academic freedom. According to faculty and students at LIFE, LIFE's campus is embroiled in a mask battle despite there being no mask mandate in the State of Georgia.
In his video, Clum said he was "sorry" for a blunt and curt message "but it needs to be" he claimed. In regards to following the illegal mandates imposed upon citizens of Washington, Clum admonished chiropractors to " . . . do so immediately, consistently, every patient, day in, day out."
Or, Clum warned, "we can choose to be belligerent about it, we can choose to be obstructionist about it and we can suffer the consequences."
No mention was made of the American with Disabilities Act, or bonafide medical exemptions in place in Washington State and how chiropractors should navigate those issues in terms of how it impacts them or their patients from a personal safety stance.
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The warning from Clum was accompanied by other warnings about masks and other measures from David Butters DC and Paul Reed DC on behalf of the Washington State Chiropractic Association (WSCA) which is historically aligned with the American Chiropractic Association (ACA). According to WSCA, chiropractors are on the verge of being shut down by the Governor because they claim chiropractors have the highest number of complaints against them to the Department of Health than any other profession. No actual data was provided in support of those claims. In one of the emails from WSCA they stated:
Chiropractic has received more formal complaints about COVID compliance than any other healthcare profession. We are now at a critical juncture.
Wear your mask. Clean & screen with every patient. Enforce social distancing.
Don't let us get shut down because of non-compliance.
Both Butters and Reed indicated they agreed and understood that the research and science did not support such draconian mandates and assured chiropractors that essentially the profession would live to fight those issues another day. This, despite over nine months to address it before it got to this point. For now chiropractors are being forced to "go along to get along" and abandon any efforts at fighting the mandates.
