Over the past 12 months, a lot has changed for the chiropractic profession in Texas. It took an army of chiropractors from the Lone Star State and beyond working together to achieve our biggest gains in decades. Most of you have heard about TCA’s triumph in the 85^th Texas Legislative Session, most notably SB 304. The Sunset bill, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, not only extends the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners (TBCE) until 2029, but it also clarifies diagnosis for all doctors of chiropractic in Texas. You’ll find out the implications of this bill, not to mention TCA’s other key wins, at Chiro Texpo ’17, coming up June 9-11 at the Hyatt Regency Dallas.

If you still haven’t made up your mind to attend TCA’s Chiro Texpo ’17, what are you waiting for? It’s not too late to join the 400+ doctors of chiropractic, staff, educators and students already registered for TCA’s annual convention June 9-11 at the Hyatt Regency Dallas. Good news! You can register online through Monday, June 5.

Three new laws have been signed by the governor that will ensure that chiropractic continues as a licensed profession in Texas, that DCs can easily form partnerships with other medical practitioners and may legally withhold student athletes with concussions from practice or play.

Support the ongoing battle for chiropractic in Texas and earn valuable continuing education hours at an upcoming seminar sponsored by TCA Gold Sponsor Foot Levelers. The Foot Levelers Extremities Seminar Benefiting the Fight for Chiropractic in Texas coming up Sept. 16-17 at Parker University in Dallas.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law Senate Bill 304, continuing the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners (TBCE) and upholding the right of licensed doctors of chiropractic in Texas to diagnose patients. The governor has also signed Senate Bill 679 and House Bill 3024 allowing for increased professional business associations and withholding athletes with concussions from sports.  It caps a historic legislative session for the chiropractic profession in Texas. 

As an F4CP member, the TCA passes resources along to our members. The F4CP announces the launch of  "A Guide to Local Marketing Success" to F4CP doctor members. This guidebook delivers the tools and techniques needed to utilize the F4CP material and achieve positive press in the local area.

Don’t miss a free webinar from TCA Friend of Chiropractic Sponsor Online Chiro,Personalize and Rise: 4 Ways To Rank Higher On Google, at 1 p.m. CST Thursday, June 15. Register for this short webinar to learn the strategies that will help your practice get the most out of its website.

JUNE CALENDAR

The FDA has issued guidance on pain management. Pain can be categorized and an understanding of these categorizations can help direct therapeutic decisions. Here is how the federal government classifies pain and what it expects.

The federal government is getting serious about asking for refunds. It is claiming that the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York was overpaid $41.9 Million and now has 60 days to pay up.

Elon Musk is an inventor, engineer and entrepreneur who has revolutionized several high-tech industries. He is the CEO and product architect of electric car manufacturer Tesla, as well as the founder, CEO and CTO of SpaceX, one of the leading private aerospace companies. He also has a very strong chiropractic heritage.

A new Canadian guideline published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) strongly recommends considering non-pharmacologic therapy, including chiropractic, in preference to opioid therapy for chronic non-cancer pain.

About two of every three people will experience significant low back pain. Physicians suggest any number of potential treatments and therapies, but have seldom considered a referral for spinal manipulation. For initial treatment of lower back pain, it is time for physicians to rethink their biases.

There are a multitude of questions regarding Medicare and the physician fee schedule. The ACA has created a FAQ providing direct answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.

The Canadian Chiropractic Guideline Initiative has recently published a guideline on neck pain-associated disorders and whiplash-associated disorders in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics as a quality evidence-based guideline related to cervical spine injury. Its use is recommended in chiropractic practice.

Next-generation activity trackers are wrist-worn trackers measuring heart rate. It is easy to understand their convenience, but their accuracy is questionable. The data supporting clinical use has been lacking. This study offers some insight.

Nothing will give your team more confidence than knowing what to say when it comes to communicating with patients in your office. Not only does it improve customer service and efficiency, but it can also help you become more compliant.

Documentation is the watchword of our era. Adequate documentation of patient encounters is now an expected part of patient care. The Institute for Chiropractic Ethics offers guidelines for record keeping which may serve to focus your attention on this important aspect of practice.