The New Hampshire State Chiropractic Society is holding its spring 2007 Seminar on April 21 and 22. The organization, formerly known as the New Hampshire Straight Chiropractic Society, still promotes the concept of straight chiropractic. But what is interesting about this particular seminar is that its guest speaker is Chris Colloca, DC, a practicing chiropractor who is also the founder of Neuromechanical Innovations, a company that sells the Impulse adjusting instrument.

One of the first things I heard when I started working for this magazine a couple of years ago was that a division existed in the chiropractic profession between two groups: straight chiropractors, who focus on the location, analysis, and correction of vertebral subluxation; and "mixers," who also use therapeutic modalities such as electrotherapy and ultrasound. But now, as our magazine has rededicated itself to focus completely on products, I decided to revisit the subject of how much division actually exists between the straights and the mixers.

My conclusion: The division does not exist nearly as much as it did in the past. The straights and the mixers have more in common than you would think.

I recently spoke to two leaders in the field of straight chiropractic—Bob Irwin, assistant professor and dean of clinical science at Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic; and Dick Plummer, chair of the Federation of Straight Chiropractors and Organizations (FSCO). They agreed on the basic definition of straight chiropractic as being limited to the location, analysis, and correction of vertebral subluxations. But the definition of straight chiropractic has changed over the years. Irwin says that when he started in the profession in the mid-1970s, the definition of straight chiropractic was "adjustments by hand only." But now, for example, a DC who uses an adjusting instrument to correct vertebral subluxations could still be considered a straight chiropractor.

I visited the Web sites of several DCs who say they are straight chiropractors, and I found some that sell nutritional supplements, consult on nutrition, and use adjusting instruments. One office describes its practice as straight chiropractic, but it sells orthotics and nutritional supplements and has an acupuncturist on staff.

Straight chiropractors are implementing technology without compromising their chiropractic philosophy. They might not have used cervical traction a few years ago, but now many of them are recognizing cervical traction's benefits in helping maintain subluxation correction. The same goes for rehab products such as exercise balls, which strengthen muscles to help maintain subluxation correction.

The gap between the straights and the mixers has definitely narrowed. Perhaps the profession has finally started listening to my repeated ranting about the need for all chiropractic factions to put aside their differences and focus on the common goal of helping people stay healthy without surgery and prescription drugs. Another positive sign is a "Statement of Tolerance" that the California Chiropractic Association wrote in March, stating that the association agrees to "respond to the concerns of all doctors of chiropractic equally and with respect, regardless of personal philosophy, practice style, or technique."

Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic lists its current enrollment number at 312, while the FSCO lists a membership number of about 1,000. So straight chiropractic is going to be around a while, and the profession is slowly learning that all of its factions should learn to get along for the betterment of chiropractic. Whatever your practice philosophy is, you can rely on our magazine to give you the most in-depth product coverage available.

Daryl Lubinsky