Blames Profession's Problems on Dogmatic Factions

In a recent interview published in Dynamic Chiropractic, James Winterstein DC shares his thoughts on the current state of chiropractic education and the profession. Dr. Winterstein recently announced his retirement from National University of Health Sciences after 26 years of service.

Stating that the chiropractic profession is in a "state of decline" that will continue unless the profession rids itself of its "dogmatic" faction, Winterstein perpetuates the myth that chiropractors whose clinical focus is the management of vertebral subluxation are anti-scientifc and not interested in evidence.

Without defining these two "diametrically opposed" factions Winterstein states that the profession as a whole engages in a "planning charade" due to an unnamed faction that promotes "ideas that are unsupported by science."

Winterstein makes no attempt to define the alleged unscientific ideas that are being promoted while at the same time asserting that because of this unnamed group "...we cannot move forward and failure of forward motion portends stagnation and eventual entropy."

Winterstein takes the opportunity to push one of his signature solutions to these contrived problems: Tiering of the chiropractic profession.

First promoted over a decade ago by Winterstein and others, tiering involves creating two classes of chiropractors. One, the Advanced Chiropractic Physician, that acts as a primary care physician including prescriptive drug rights and the other, a "basic DC", with a focus soley on the management of the subluxation.

Winterstein suggests that such tiering will and is happening already without any profession wide strategic planning and suggests it would be in everyone's best interest to have clear standards for the process of tiering since it is happening anyway.

The ultimate effect of such tiering, according to Winterstein, is that it would allow chiropractors to help fill the gaping need for primary care providers. Winterstein has previously suggested that this will also benefit the profession financially and that if we really want to get people off drugs then we need to be able to put them on drugs.

Referring to the adjustment and management of subluxation as a "one trick pony" Winterstein warns that this further erodes our cultural authority and that others are stepping in to provide the service of manipulation.

Winterstein will remain President Emeritus at National and will use that role to advise the incoming President Dr. Joseph Stiefel as the need arises.