Edward F. Owens, Jr. MS, DC on May 15-16, 2001

This section is compiled by Frank M. Painter, D.C.
Send all comments or additions to:    Frankp@chiro.org

Thank you for allowing me to address you today. I am here to discuss some of the challenges we face in the chiropractic research community and reiterate what some of the other speakers for chiropractic have said. I am the research director at Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic in Spartanburg, SC and have been involved in chiropractic as an educator, researcher and practitioner for almost 20 years.

Sherman College Interim President, Dr. Brian McAulay, spoke to this body on February 23^rd of this year. He raised three very important points that not only apply to chiropractic research, but to CAM in general.

• There is a huge disparity between the research funding to medical schools and that to alternative schools. The NIH alone granted some $6.5 billion dollars to the top 50 medical schools in 1999. The entire budget of the NCCAM, which funds most CAM research, is on the order of $70 million - about 1 percent of the NIH budget.

• We need to formally recognize the value and appropriateness of the meta-therapeutic health care paradigm that focuses on enhancing performance and function rather than treating disease. This would put more emphasis on the "complementary" in CAM, and recognize that there is a fundamental difference in the approaches between allopathic care and complementary care. Complementary care is more often aimed at improving the health of the whole person, rather than treating a particular symptom.

• More federal funding should be directed to research efforts in the wellness and preventive health paradigm that explores ways to help people avoid serious health problems and enjoy greater function and performance. This emphasis is a natural outgrowth of an increased awareness of the potential of meta-therapeutic methods to help forestall disease.

  Two other chiropractic researchers spoke to this body on October 5^th last year, Dr. Tony Rosner and Dr. Bill Meeker. Both of them had suggestions on how to accomplish some of the tasks Dr. McAulay suggested.

Dr. Rosner had a similar comment about the preventive aspect of chiropractic care, in particular the notion that regular chiropractic care over the long term can have benefit. At this point the evidence for his statement is largely anecdotal. There have been a few cross-sectional studies that showed how elderly patients under long-term chiropractic care tend to be more active, use fewer medical services and have better general health.

An emphasis on randomized clinical trials to test the efficacy of any therapy on a particular condition would not be effective in supporting or refuting the preventive benefits of long-term care. As Dr. Rosner pointed out, we need to relax the dependence on RCTs and open research funds to long-term descriptive studies, such as cohort designs and case series.

In our experience at Sherman College, federal funding for this kind of research is very difficult to obtain, even from the profession's own Consortial Center for Chiropractic Research. A suggestion from Dr. Rosner to provide properly balanced and enlightened study sections to review grant applications should help lower some of the barriers to the conduct of CAM research. We might also take this advice to heart in how we construct review sections in the CCCR.

In his presentation, Dr. Meeker went further to suggest that chiropractors and other CAM professionals be routinely appointed and otherwise included in research policymaking efforts (to include hiring chiropractors at the same level as other doctors in the Department of Health and Human Services as administrators and investigators). Certainly this initiative would provide a more knowledgeable and balanced staff, sensitive to the unique challenges of CAM research.

As an addendum to this presentation, I have enclosed a list of the research publications and presentations that Sherman College faculty members have produced in the past two years. The titles will give you an idea of the kinds of research we are interested in doing in chiropractic.

Thank you.

Peer Reviewed Publications by Sherman College Faculty, 1999

Owens E., Koch, D, & Moore, L (1999) Hypothesis Formulation for Scientific Investigation of Vertebral Subluxation. Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research. 1999; 3(3).

Hoiriis K., Burd D., & Owens E.(1999) Changes in general health status during upper cervical chiropractic care: A practice-based research project update. Chiropractic Research Journal; 6(2):65-70.

Zhang J. (1999) The Correlation of Students' Entry-Level GPA, Academic Performance, and the National Board Examination in All Basic Science Subjects. Journal of Chiropractic Education; 13(2):91-99.

Owens E. (1999) Vertebral Subluxation-Centered Straight Chiropractic Research. Chiropractic Research Journal; 6(1);12-13.

Zeitz G., McAulay, B., & Mittal, V. (1999) Differentiating adoption from entrenchment: A Theoretical framework. Organizational Studies; 20(5); 742-776.

McAulay B. (1999) Negative push, positive pull: Differentiated work commitment in a turbulent career environment. Academy of Management annual conference in Chicago, August.

McAulay B., Zeitz, G., & Mittal, V. (1999) The Transition from Scientific Management to the New Management Model in Manufacturing: New Paradigm or Evolutionary Refinement? Association for Business History Conference, London, England, September.

Clusserath MT. Vertebral subluxation and a professional objective for chiropractic. Journal of Chiropractic Humanities 1999; 9(1):1-12.


Publications by Sherman College Faculty, 2000

Hart J & Boone WR. Pattern Analysis of Paraspinal Temperatures: A Descriptive Report. Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research 2000; 3(4).

Owens EF. Theoretical Constructs of Vertebral Subluxation as Applied by Chiropractic Practitioners and Researchers. Topics in Clinical Chiropractic 2000; 7(1):74-79.

Owens EF, Stein T. Computer-aided Analysis of Paraspinal Thermographic Patterns: A Technical Report. Chiropractic Research Journal 2000; 8(2). In press

Owens EF, Pennacchio VA. Operational Definitions of Vertebral Subluxation: A Case Study. Topics in Clinical Chiropractic 2001; 8(1). In press

Senzon S. An Integral Approach to Unifying the Philosophy of Chiropractic: B.J. Palmer's Model of Consciousness. Journal of Integral Studies 2000 1(0). Online journal.

Owens EF. Philosophically driven scientific Investigation of Vertebral Subluxation. Proceedings Lisbon 2000 - ICA/FACTS conference.

McAulay B. Attitudes toward Chiropractic Philosophy: A Principle Components Analysis. Proceedings Lisbon 2000 - ICA/FACTS conference

McAulay B, Lemberger D, Owens EF. Success in chiropractic practice: a practitioner-based content analysis. Proceedings Lisbon 2000 - ICA/FACTS conference


Peer Reviewed Presentations and Posters by Sherman College Faculty, 1999

Zhang J. (1999) The effects of chiropractic care on short-term power spectrum analysis of heart rate variability. Association of Chiropractic Colleges Sixth Annual Conference. Orlando, FL, March.

Owens E, Donofrio J, & Guest T. (1999) Vertebral Subluxation Assessment in Clinical Research. Proceedings World Federation of Chiropractic, 5th Biennial Congress, Auckland, NZ, May.

Hoiriis K, Burd D, & Owens E. (1999) Changes in General Health Status During Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care. Proceedings World Federation of Chiropractic, 5th Biennial Congress, Auckland, NZ, May.

Owens E. (1999) Vertebral Subluxation Hypothesis Tree. Research Agenda Conference IV, Chicago, IL. July.

Hart J. (1999) Comparison of Upper Cervical X-Ray Listings to Upper Cervical Palpation Listings. National Subluxation Conference. Spartanburg, SC, October.

Donofrio J, Spano N, & Owens E. (1999) Reliability and Validity of Muscle Palpation as an indicator of Subluxation in the Upper Cervical Spine. National Subluxation Conference. Spartanburg, SC, October.

Owens E. (1999) Time-Series Analysis: A Research Method for Field Practitioners. National Subluxation Conference. Spartanburg, SC, October.

Owens E, Penrod M, & Stein T. (1999) Thermographic Pattern Analysis Using Objective Numeric Methods. Upper Cervical Conference, Marietta, GA November.

Hart J. (1999) Pattern Work in Chiropractic Practice. Upper Cervical Conference, Marietta, GA November.


Research Platform and Poster Presentations by Sherman College Faculty, 2000

Association of Chiropractic Colleges 2000 Educational Conference, March 15-18, San Antonio, TX (Presentations also published in the Journal of Chiropractic Education)

Owens EF, Hoiriis KT. The relationship between chronicity of complaints and changes in general health in a practice-based study.

McAulay B, Owens EF, Moore L, Hartley A. Clinical curriculum validation as a chiropractic college: a participant observation case study of an alternating bifocal model of work team effectiveness.

Brown S, Hinson R, Owens EF. Comparison of radiographic analysis and clinical outcome for two upper cervical specific techniques.

Owens EF. Thermographic pattern analysis using objective numeric methods.

Sherman College Lyceum, Spartanburg, SC.
Owens EF. Research in the Office Environment

Eighth Annual Vertebral Subluxation Research Conference, October 2000, Spartanburg, SC (Presentations also published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research)

Owens EF. The Relationship Between Science, Philosophy, and Art in Chiropractic Research

Senzon SA. The Theory of Chiropractic Pattern Analysis Based on the New Biology

Hartley A, Charley L. Dissecting the Prone Leg Check

Clusserath M. Rationale for Multiple Common Indicators of Vertebral Subluxation

Hart J. Comparison of X-ray Listings and Palpation Listings of the Upper Cervical Spine

Clusserath M. The VSC Model and the Philosophy of Chiropractic

Chiropractic Philosophy Conference, October 2000, Spartanburg, SC
(Presentations also published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research)

Koch D. Force vs. Energy

McAulay B. Innate Intelligence and Universal Intelligence: Unnecessary Distractions in Chiropractic Philosophy?

Senzon S. Mental Impulse: Theoretical Construct or Scientific Reality?

Clusserath M. When is there Pain Associated with a Vertebral Subluxation?

Clusserath M. Philosophical Similarities between the Historically Opposed Groups in Chiropractic.

Senzon S. An Integral Approach to Unifying the Philosophy of Chiropractic: B.J. Palmer's Model of Consciousness

McAulay B. From 33 Principles to Coherent Concepts: Parsimony in Chiropractic Philosophy

Koch D. Chiropractic Philosophy: Where the Profession Needs to go to Advance.

World Federation of Chiropractic Conference on Education, November 2000, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

McAulay B, Naylor G. Philosophy Curricula in Chiropractic Colleges: A Content Analysis

International Chiropractors Association/Federation for the Advancement of Chiropractic Tenets Conference, November, 2000, Lisbon, Portugal

McAulay B, Lemberger D, Owens EF. Success in chiropractic practice: a practitioner-based content analysis.

Owens EF. Philosophically driven scientific investigation of vertebral subluxation.

McAulay B. Attitudes toward Chiropractic Philosophy: A Principle Components Analysis.

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