Dear Colleagues:

I just returned from the Research Agenda Conference V: Integrating Chiropractic Theory, Evidence and Practice also know as RAC5. It was located in Chicago this July 21 -23, 2000 and had a gathering of the most noted researchers chiropractic has to offer.

I attended the conference representing Sacro Occipital Technique Organization (SOTO) - USA, my name is Charles Blum DC and although I have been published, this was my first foray into the chiropractic research world. I expected it to be intimidating and that the prestigious researchers would be inaccessible. I found just the contrary.

We are so blessed to be surrounded in chiropractic with chiropractic researchers only too willing to share, help and guide. Although they all have questioning and critical minds, they also have an openness and willingness to explore and expand their horizons.

A few issues concerned me and that I feel are important for the general chiropractic community, its schools, administrators and technique organizations.

1. One of the easiest papers to write is a case history study. Our research profession and its journals need case history reports for their publications. These studies could be any interesting case that we see in our practices or as mundane as low back or neck pain relief following chiropractic care. Write your paper, it doesn't have to be perfect, our excellent editors will turn it over to the respective journal's peer review and then you can use their help to put together a "top notch" paper. If you have written a narrative report for an accident case then you have practically written a case report.

I recommend the following United States based journals, although there are also some excellent internationally based journal also:

Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT)
Dana Lawrence, DC, Editor
200 East Roosevelt Road
Lombard, IL 60148

Journal of the Neuromusculoskeletal System (JNMS)
William Meeker, DC, MPH, Editor
Palmer College of Chiropractic
741 Brady Street
Davenport, IA 52803

Topics in Clinical Chiropractic
Robert Mootz, DC, Editor
P.O. Box 44321
Olympia, WA 98504-4321

Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research
Matthew McCoy, DC, Editor
2950 N. Dobson Road, Suite 1,
Chandler, AZ 85224

Chiropractic Research Journal
Sarah Webster, PhD, Editor
232 Andover Road
Rayne, LA 70578

2. What also was clear at the conference is that to me there was a gap between chiropractic research community's needs and those of our colleges and organized techniques. The main gap is the need for funds and ability for the researchers to be able to focus on their research. We all need to be aware that in our present climate only through research will chiropractic have a viable future. As chiropractic has entered the information age and has gained prestige as a viable alternative to the medical model, our responsibility to research has grown continually until at this point there is no turning back.

Chiropractic colleges and our organized techniques will be left in a sad state if our research personal and publications are not strong and supported. At the conference it appeared to me that all our colleges need to get in step with Northwestern College of Chiropractic's support of chiropractic research. The limiting factors for most of the colleges is financial. Some solution to this dilemma needs to be addressed. One way would be to somehow make research profitable for the schools or another is for the school's alumni to donate funds earmarked for research.

Organized techniques can no longer solely rely on anecdotal information to support their procedures. Our techniques need to have the courage to challenge themselves to learn and grow, utilizing our peer reviewed research and findings as guides. The problems with research is that the process of studying a procedure tends to perturb the very procedure being tested. Another problem is that results from a study might be used more for information about study design and future studies and less about the validity of a procedure or technique. It was also brought up at the conference that it might be possible that some procedures cannot be adequately studied independent of their complimentary procedures. Research often creates more questions and than answers, we all need to be comfortable in this paradoxical situation. Answers will only be found following decades of continued research, we have to avoid taking a myopic vision.

3. Lastly, I can't strongly enough recommend that all chiropractors in practice and academia come to the next RAC6. The excitement and welcoming openness of the staff and faculty helped break down many of my fears of intimidation and questions about whether I belonged there. We all need to embrace our research community and become aware of where we are going and what is needed for our growth. Each of us can be a part of our future, becoming involved in the research community via publishing, financial support or attending the various events is a good start.

Charles L. Blum, DC, FICS
President SOTO-USA