Chiropractic has a long history of being the safest of the major health professions, with the fewest negative events. Although no procedure is entirely safe, chiropractic care stands as being one of the safest forms of healthcare available. To highlight this fact, on October 26, 2005 the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) initiated a campaign to offer the truth about the chiropractic professions safety.
This campaign consists of press releases, billboards, bumper stickers and in-office material. ICA has also established a website for consumers, offering factual information on chiropractic safety and effectiveness, and contrasting factual and well-referenced information on the risks of many standard medical procedures. Now on-line at www.chiropracticissafe.org, this website is being constantly updated and improved, so consumers can access responsible information on the vital issue of safety, free from the scare tactics that have so regularly been used by chiropractic’s critics and competitors to drive patients away from seeking chiropractic care.
In the past competing groups and critics of chiropractic have tried to falsely call into question the safety record of chiropractic. ICA President Dr. John K. Maltby states, “ICA members worldwide are determined to share with the public an accurate, ethical and responsible message about chiropractic.”
“The all too frequent attacks on our profession falsely alleging safety concerns are not an issue of free speech,” said Dr. Maltby. “This is a matter akin to the famous Crying fire in a crowded theatre.’ The public is entitled to honest, accurate information on such important issues as safety and effectiveness, and the ICA is determined to provide a strong, accurate message in the face of the offensive and inappropriate efforts we have seem from some of chiropractic’s critics and competitors. This is the motivation behind this new campaign.”