United Health Care Adopts Policy on Chiropractic & Immunity - Uses Policy Endorsed by WFC, ACA & Parker

United Health Care has added a section on "Neuroimmunoendocrine Effects" to its Policy on "Manipulative Therapy".

According to UHC:

"A rapid evidence reviews examined research cited in support of claims of effectiveness for spinal manipulation in conferring or enhancing immunity (Kawchuk et al., 2020). The authors critically assessed seven cited studies. They found no credible, scientific evidence that spinal manipulation has any clinically relevant effect on the immune system. The available studies had small sample sizes and lacked symptomatic subjects. The authors concluded there exists no credible scientific evidence of effectiveness for conferring or enhancing immunity through spinal manipulation. Therefore, the use of spinal manipulation to treat or prevent infectious diseases is unproven."

The Rapid Review that UHC refers to by Kawchuk et al is the fatally flawed immunity hit piece put out by the World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) and endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), and Parker University at the beginning of the COVID fiasco. The document and the conclusions in it were rejected in widespread fashion by the chiropractic profession - except for the ACA, WFC, Parker University and the Haavik Research Team at New Zealand College of Chiropractic (NZCC).

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The rejection of the document and its conclusions was swift and almost immediate resulting in widespread resignations from the WFC's Research Committee (including Greg Kawchuk) which produced the flawed document.

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The controversy was so great over the actions of the WFC that they lost 17 international sponsors as a result which was then followed by the resignations.

Then, out of nowhere, the research team at New Zealand College of Chiropractic (NZCC) under the direction of Heidi Haavik and Imran Khan and including the new President of NZCC - Kelly Holt, published their own flawed and highly biased paper on chiropractic and immunity coming to the same ridiculous conclusions as the WFC, Pohlman, Parker and the ACA stating:

"However, it is not yet known whether HVLA controlled vertebral thrusts have a clinically relevant impact on immunity."

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Could it be that while the New Zealand folks were working on their paper they were also positioning themselves to get someone appointed to the new, reconstituted WFC Research Committee?

Because suddenly the New Zealand Chiropractic Association (NZCA) which had resigned from the WFC over the fiasco was once again a dues paying member of the WFC and Imran Khan NIAZI MS, PhD, a Senior Research Fellow at New Zealand College of Chiropractic, was on the Research Committee.

He was joined by Katie "There is no credible research" Pohlman, the Director of Research at Parker University.

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So should it be any wonder that UHC latched on to what the ACA, WFC and its comrades were putting out in terms of flawed research?

Keep in mind that this is after the ACA lobbied UHC because they dropped migraines from their policy due to lack of evidence. The ACA was able to get migraines back in along with the new Policy on immune function. Was a deal struck?

Be sure to thank all these folks at the ACA, WFC, Parker and New Zealand for their role in getting this policy adopted by an insurance company.