APHA has many sections, one of which is the Chiropractic Health Care (CHC).  Others are:

    * Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs
    * Community Health Planning and Policy Development
    * Epidemiology
    * Environment
    * Food and Nutrition 
    * Gerontological Health 
    * Health Administration 
    * HIV/AIDS 
    * Injury Control and Emergency Health Services 
    * International Health
    * Maternal and Child Health 
    * Medical Care 
    * Mental Health 
    * Occupational Health and Safety 
    * Oral Health 
    * Podiatric Health 
    * Population, Family Planning and Reproductive Health 
    * Public Health Education and Health Promotion 
    * Public Health Nursing 
    * School Health Education and Services 
    * Social Work 
    * Statistics 
    * Vision Care  

So as you can see, we are one of many.  The problem that we are facing in the Chiropractic Health Care Section is our small number of active members.  There needs to be a continuing effort to bring chiropractic into the fold of public health.  We need to show chiropractic students why they should join APHA and get engaged in the nation's health dialogue from a chiropractic perspective.

I don't need to tell you that chiropractic has had an uphill battle showing what we can do and teaching the public about what we are and what we are not.  With or without a subluxation model, chiros are on the outside looking in. We need to be within the health care spectrum, and APHA is a good place to start.  Just as we are getting into the VA system, we need to become "ordinary" in the best sense of the word.

The Chiropractic Health Care Section has only been around for 10 years, being started by Rand Baird, DC, MPH, who "was the first to recognize that chiropractors deserved a place in public health, and then worked tirelessly to obtain APHA section status." (quote is from John Hyland , DC, MPH).

Chiropractic and public health should be "married" in everyone's mind -- This will result in greater recognition and acceptance of chiropractic as an important piece of the health care puzzle.  Public health was the first real attempt to bring long-term health care needs of the population into the responsibility of the government.  At first it was sanitation and clean water, and soon it became infectious disease.  Infectious disease is no longer as big of a threat to the health of our nation as it was throughout the 20th century.  No doubt that advances made in infectious disease prevention have extended lives and increased our quality of life.  This is so apparent that we don't even think about infectious disease in the United States anymore, and we see those in Africa and Asia who die from these problems in large numbers as, truly, another world apart from us.

So what are our problems today?  Longevity is great, but what we really want is quality of life.  We want to be free from discomfort, and we want to be able to pursue our activities, whether work or play, free of pain, and with full function.  We want to be 60 and moving like we are 30.  We don't want to miss work with infirmities that allopathic medicine wants to mask with meds and pain-relievers -- we want real resolution of health concerns, or, better yet, prevention of health problems before they occur.

Most Americans are not aware of the role chiropractic might play in keeping their bodies in full capability. Aging American, or "baby boomers," may be more well-educated than their parents, more affluent, and more open to new ideas about wellness. This is a great time for chiropractors to educate our aging population about our potential role in health and wellness. 

The Public Health community also can be educated about chiropractic's role in keeping the U.S. population active and healthy.  Americans want to be treated as intelligent health care consumers.  Many Americans were pretty happy with their health in their 20-30s and were comfortable with the idea that their bodies were able to heal most problems with minimal help from "modern medicine."  We certainly don't think that we "are growing old," nor do we want to accept it.

Chiropractic can play an important part in keeping people at optimal health, resolving complaints of pain and infirmity with patient cooperation and allowing the patient to play a role in their own health care.  Gone are the days of showing up to your medical doctor, accepting a pill and a shot, and expecting that passive relief will take place.  Americans read daily about side-effects of drugs that can even include death.  Americans want to have their earlier good health maintained, not replaced by pills and conciliatory attitudes about aging.  Americans want a role in their own well-being, and have similar goals as chiropractors: to be free of disease, to feel our best and to prevent disease. This leaves allopathic and osteopathic medicine to care for acute medical emergencies and surgical intervention if needed.

Who better than the chiropractor to take the lead in wellness, health promotion and prevention of disease?  The chiropractor of today knows what he/she can appropriately manage and what health scenarios must be referred for care elsewhere.  We know the limitations of our field, and we know the capabilities of our field.

Health care will always need the MD and DO, and the public health care system will always recognize that.  It is time that the public health community recognizes the contribution of chiropractic to the public's health and well-being.

--Jerry Lane (class of December 2007) UBCC, 6th semester student