Is Jennifer Forbes - Western States Chiropractic College Board of Trustees Member - on War Path Against Subluxation Based Chiropractors?

Jennifer Forbes DC serves as the Vice Chair of Western States Chiropractic College Board of Trustees according to her Linked In profile and she also serves on the Board of the College of Chiropractors of British Columbia.

Such a conflict might have gone unnoticed had she not thrown herself into the briar patch by voting to ban the use of x-rays for the management of vertebral subluxation in her role on the CCBC.

In fact, three of the four chiropractors serving on the CCBC who voted for the ban are Western States graduates. The fourth is a graduate of Canadian Memorial.

The story gets more sordid upon viewing an eerie video that Forbes put out endorsing two other chiropractors for placement on the CCBC. The video portrays a threat looming in Canada by chiropractors she believes are not evidence based. Though the video is from 2017 its meaning and implications for chiropractic internationally become crystal clear following the debacle that recently occurred on the CCBC board.

CLICK HERE to view the video

The College of Chiropractors of British Columbia (CCBC) has outright banned the use of radiographs for the evaluation and assessment of vertebral subluxation and according to the ban the only application of x-rays is to identify "serious pathology".

CLICK HERE for that story

As news of the scandal on the board broke it became clear that there was serious dissension on the board and that without the votes of three lay persons, who had no business voting on the issue, the ban would not have passed.

CLICK HERE for that story

Forbes predictions of doom and gloom for chiropractic that would manifest if Johnny Suchdev DC did not get voted onto the board were obviously heeded by chiropractors in BC since Suchdev was put on the Board and made the Chair. This, along with the votes of the lay people, gave them the votes they need to go after the subluxation fixers on the x-ray issue.

And according to sources, they did so by contriving a scenario that there were complaints against chiropractors coming into the board for issues related to x ray that the board simply had to deal with and put a stop to.

But how?

Simple - the CCBC would just provide the funding for a so called "Rapid Review" of the literature on: The clinical utility of routine spinal radiographs by chiropractors.

And the CCBC would get a bunch of well known Subluxation Deniers to write it and then get it published in the main journal controlled by the Subluxation Deniers.

It was a masterful plan - and they succeeded.

Melissa Corso, Carol Cancelliere, Silvano Mior, Varsha Kumar, Ali Smith & Pierre Côté, the hired gun "researchers" who conducted the "Rapid Review", came to this conclusion:

"We found no evidence that the use of routine or repeat radiographs to assess the function or structure of the spine, in the absence of red flags, improves clinical outcomes and benefits patients. Given the inherent risks of ionizing radiation, we recommend that chiropractors do not use radiographs for the routine and repeat evaluation of the structure and function of the spine."

Of course they ignored any and all literature, practice guidelines and standards of care in support of the evaluation of the biomechanical integrity of the spine related to vertebral subluxation - because it would negate their pre-conceived narrative and muddy the water.

And you would not want to muddy the water for the three lay persons on the board considering we are talking about an estate attorney, a social worker and a retired accountant.

They needed those lay people to vote their way.

Making Forbes stance on x-rays that much more bizarre is a review of her website.

For example she promotes the use of "shockwave therapy". One wonders how she can justify the marketing of it since the CCBC's very own EFFICACY CLAIMS POLICY does not allow the marketing of any modality that does not meet its requirements.

The BC College defines what evidence it will accept by disallowing any type of research where there are other possible explanations for treatment outcomes, the outcomes have not been replicated across multiple studies, they are not considered higher level evidence (RCT’s), basic science studies, case studies, self-assessment studies (Quality of Life Studies) and outcomes studies.

So only high level, high quality RCT's are allowed and those would have to have been replicated across multiple studies.

Given that she is clearly in violation of the CCBC policy regarding advertising, why hasn't anyone filed complaints against her? If the other CCBC board members are aware of this then aren't they in violation for not doing anything about it?

As has been thoroughly documented, these board members adopt draconian policies designed to limit the practice of subluxation management and then ignore the fact that it also limits everything chiropractors do. And then the regulatory boards look the other way as their own Board members violate the rules they put in place. Nothing short of a full investigation by outside agencies and legal action is going to put a stop to their actions. 

On her website, Forbes digs her hole ever deeper claiming that she is "evidence based" but uses a definition of evidence based practice that is not in line with the CCBC. This presumably is so she can get around the accusation that she is in violation of the CCBC Efficacy Claims Policy:

"Heritage chiropractors adopt evidence-informed practice principles to guide clinical decision making by integrating their clinical expertise, patient’s preferences and values, and the best available scientific evidence."

The CCBC adopted their Efficacy Claims Policy and APPENDIX N just a few years ago.

CLICK HERE for that story

The Western States Vice Chair also offers a definition of chiropractic on her website that is essentially about unsticking stuck joints to improve range of motion.

Jennifer Forbes DC has now become another in a long line of Subluxation Deniers who promulgate rules and policies for others that they do not follow. Whether or not Canadian chiropractors let her and the rest of those who voted for the ban get away with it or not remains to be seen.

Since the news of the x-ray ban became public the chiropractic profession has erupted in outrage. Nearly 4000 individuals have signed a petition expressing that outrage and there is a fundraising effort underway for legal action which includes filing for an injunction against the board.

CLICK HERE for the petition