For Seth and Megan Bullock, chiropractic is more than a career path. Now students at Sherman College of Chiropractic, they’ve been immersed in the chiropractic lifestyle since day one.

“We were born into chiropractic. That’s all we’ve known since the very beginning,” Megan shares. “It’s always been part of our lifestyle and our family.”

Their dad, Dr. Jacob Bullock, serves as ICA Representative Assembly member for Kentucky, and their uncle, Dr. Ted Bullock, is also a principled chiropractor. But it’s not just family tradition that drives them; it’s conviction.

“We’ve grown up only with the chiropractic thinking,” Megan says. “Especially as you go through big events like COVID… you really learn that’s not how most people think. We really wanted to make sure we could bring that to our own families.”

A deep-rooted desire to serve led them to Sherman College and to participating in the International Chiropractors Association (ICA).

As Seth said, “Our main driver behind that has been Dad’s always talked about just being involved. And there’s no better organization to be involved in than ICA.”

Through ICA, Megan and Seth are finding support, mentorship, and a powerful way to stay grounded in chiropractic’s foundational principles, especially in the pressure cooker of student life.

“You get overworked and flooded with all the material… and it’s so easy to lose your why,” Seth said. “ICA really gives us tools to be able to…focus on what truly matters.”

Megan added,  “While you’re in school, you’re in such a bubble. I wish our world was exactly like our school every day—but that’s just not the reality. Being a part of ICA… they’re going to help you learn how to transition into the real world and teach your community.”

SICA Club at Sherman College

And now, the Bullock siblings are bringing that mission directly to campus:

“In case you didn’t know, we do have a club that just started at Sherman. The Student ICA Club is so excited to be on campus, and we can’t wait to reach out to all of the students and begin sharing all that the ICA has to offer,” said Megan, the club’s vice president.

From adjusting tables beside the kitchen to leadership on campus, the Bullocks are a living example of how legacy and leadership go hand in hand.

Are you a student who believes in chiropractic’s unique philosophy, science, and art? The ICA is your place to lead and grow.

Learn more at https://www.chiropractic.org/ica-membership/ 

Falls Church, VA – The ICA is happy to congratulate Dr. Selina Sigafoose-Jackson, our immediate past president, on receiving the 2025 League of Chiropractic Women (LCW) Legacy Award. This well-deserved honor highlights Dr. Selina’s incredible dedication, leadership, and lasting impact on the chiropractic community.

The LCW Legacy Award is presented to women who have exemplified a life of dedicated service to Chiropractic.

Dr. Selina has been a cornerstone of our profession for over 30 years, running a thriving practice in York, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Dr. Kevin Jackson. She graduated from Life University’s College of Chiropractic in 1989, following in the footsteps of her father, Dr. James Sigafoose, a beloved leader and one of the founders of Life University.

Throughout her career, Dr. Selina has inspired so many through her passion, leadership, and commitment to chiropractic’s core principles. As the first woman to serve as ICA President, she’s paved the way for others and shown that dedication and heart can truly make a difference.

The League of Chiropractic Women is a special organization—created by women, for women—that brings together DCs, spouses, CAs, faculty, and more to learn, share, and grow in a supportive, family-friendly environment. Dr. Selina’s involvement and leadership in the LCW reflect her belief in the power of community and the importance of supporting each other.

Dr. Selina’s legacy of leadership and service has touched countless lives and will continue to shape the future of chiropractic. We’re proud to celebrate her achievements and all that she’s done to uplift our profession.

For more information about the ICA and its leadership, visit www.chiropractic.org. 

Media Contact: 
Beth Clay, Executive Director 
bclay@chiropractic.org 

The International Chiropractors Association (ICA) is proud to name Dr. Selina Sigafoose-Jackson as the recipient of the Chiropractor of the Year Award for 2024. This award is the highest recognition bestowed upon a chiropractor each year and is voted on by the Fellows of the ICA. Dr. Sigafoose-Jackson was honored at the ICA 98^th Annual Convention in Dallas, Texas.

Dr. Selina is a pillar of the profession. She has run a high-volume practice in York, Pennsylvania with her husband, Dr. Kevin Jackson, for more than 30 years. She graduated from Life University’s College of Chiropractic in 1989. Dr. Selina is the daughter of famed lecturer, Dr. James Sigafoose, who was one of the founders of Life University. Dr. Selina follows in her father’s footsteps as a leader in chiropractic, having served in the ICA Representative Assembly (RA) and ICA Board of Directors. And for the last three years, she has served as the President of the ICA. She is the first woman to hold that position. She also serves in the leadership of the League of Chiropractic Women.

In accepting the award, Dr. Selina expressed a feeling of connection with her father through receiving Chiropractor of the Year. “It means I’ve been around a while,” she joked. “It also means I am included amongst some amazing servants to our profession, including my father. This award was the last award he received, two weeks before he passed away.”

Dr. Selina always prioritizes people and caring for them. “The biggest thing about chiropractic that keeps me motivated is the love of people,” said Dr. Selina. “Spreading the truth of health, life, and God’s amazing creation of the human body and how chiropractic helps to promote this amazing design.”

Dr. Selina has been a member of the ICA for more than 30 years and she recognizes its role in the history and future of chiropractic. “I just love that the ICA loves chiropractic,” she said. “That the ICA is the oldest chiropractic organization – it is a privilege and an honor to support and participate in the ICA. There is such a huge connection to our past and history through the ICA and it is the connection to our future as well.”

In the last year, Dr. Selina has been working tirelessly to ensure the future success of the ICA, regardless of outside circumstances. Even when asked about her accomplishments over the last year, she chose to recognize the team effort taking place behind the scenes. She highlights taking a more active role in facilitating dialogue between the Board of Directors and the Representative Assembly – in addition to general membership – through multiple virtual townhall meetings as a noted accomplishment this year. She also expressed her pleasure with the strides the Board has taken in restructuring governance and creating a strategic vision for the future, saying, “We’re working towards the board being more strategic and having the right people in the right seats.”

Looking ahead, Dr. Selina is excited for the potential of chiropractic to change the lives of even more people. “I am looking forward to chiropractic being the leading, number one healthcare profession over ALL professions – and I believe it will be,” she said. “I look forward to schools filling up and more schools being opened. I look forward to the human race understanding more and more the importance of maintaining nervous system health and how it relates to all organs, structures and functions of the human body.”

ICA Executive Director and CEO Ms. Beth Clay also recognized Dr. Sigafoose Jackson’s incredible character and accomplishments, saying, “It is such a tremendous honor to serve the chiropractic profession with Dr. Selina as the ICA President. She is a woman and doctor of uncompromising integrity and compassion, who lives every day the principles that guide the profession. And maybe most important of all, she is an amazing chiropractor who understands and shares at every opportunity that the key to the profession’s growth and success is the identification and correction of subluxations through the chiropractic adjustment.”

The ICA congratulates Dr. Selina Sigafoose-Jackson on receiving the Chiropractor of the Year award for 2024. We, too, are looking forward to a future where chiropractic is an option for all, especially with chiropractic greats like Dr. Selina leading the way.

October 13, 2023 (Falls Church, VA) – The International Chiropractor Association proudly recognizes Dr. Brant Hulsebus for his exemplary contributions to the field of chiropractic. Dr. Hulsebus has been given a prestigious honor by the 103^rd General Assembly of the State of Illinois for being inducted into the Palmer College of Chiropractic Academy of Chiropractic Fellows on September 16, 2023.

A third-generation chiropractor, Dr. Hulsebus graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 2002. His dedication to the profession is evident through his active involvement as a Fellow of the ICA (FICA) and his role as the Representative to the Assembly for Illinois. He was awarded the 2022 ICA Legislative Leadership Award, an honor named after his father, the legendary Bob Hulsebus.

Additionally, Dr. Hulsebus serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Illinois Prairie State Chiropractic Association, contributing to the advancement of chiropractic in the region. For over a decade, he has provided his expertise as the team chiropractor for the Rockford IceHogs hockey team.

Dr. Hulsebus’ dedication, passion, and significant contributions to the chiropractic profession make him a deserving recipient of these prestigious accolades. His unwavering commitment to the well-being of his patients and the chiropractic community is truly commendable. We are proud to have him as a member of the ICA.

Dr. Brant D. Hulsebus is being saluted in our Member Spotlight.

ICA Illinois Assembly Representative is Honored

Dr. Brant Hulsebus awarded the Dr. Norris A. Erickson Beacon of Light Award

October 26, 2022 (Falls Church, VA) The International Chiropractors Association (ICA) has been notified that long time member Dr. Brant Hulsebus is the 2022 recipient of the Illinois Prairie State Chiropractic Association’s (IPSCA) Dr. Norris A. Erickson Beacon of Light Award.

This award is given in recognition of an outstanding chiropractor who shares and exemplifies the principles, passion, and purpose of chiropractic to influence those around them and to future generations of chiropractors.

In further acknowledgement of his leadership and dedication to chiropractic, Dr. Hulsebus was elected to the Board of Directors for the Illinois Prairie State Chiropractic Association.  He will join his Illinois colleagues in providing strategic direction to the subluxation-based State Association.

About Dr. Hulsebus: Brant Hulsebus, DC, LCP, CCWP, FICA is a third generation Chiropractor. He received his Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree in 2002 from Palmer College of Chiropractic. He has completed numerous post graduate education including a certificate in the Webster Technique; achieve the Legion of Chiropractic Philosophers, and Certified Chiropractic Wellness Practitioner. Since 2004, Dr. Hulsebus has served as the Team Chiropractor for the Rockford IceHogs. He is also a member of the Professional Hockey Chiropractic Society.

In addition to his the most recent award, Dr. Hulsebus was inducted into the Fellows of the International Chiropractors Association in 2013.  In 2021, Palmer College honored him with the Bright Beacon Award. In 2022, he was honored again by the ICA with the ICA Legislative Leadership Award, named the “Bob Hulsebus” award after his grandfather. 

ICA Executive Director, Beth Clay stated, “Dr. Brant Hulsebus is truly a beacon of light in the chiropractic profession in Illinois.  In addition to his community activity, as our Assembly Representative, he consistently engages at the state and federal level with legislators and policy makers.  He continually steps up to engage with ICA membership, particularly with our Student ICA members, which is appreciated by one and all.”

Dr. Hulsebus continues the 70-year family tradition of principled chiropractic at Hulsebus Rockford Chiropractic in Rockford, Illinois. 

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Dr. Stuart “Skip” Pardee is being saluted in our Member Spotlight.

A few months ago, The Wall Street Journal published an opinion piece titled, “Bruce Willis and the Cruelty of Aphasia,” written by Bob Greene. ICA Member and Doctor of Chiropractic, Stuart Pardee was compelled to respond for his own personal reasons. Dr. Pardee wrote the following letter:

“I read with great interest your article ‘Bruce Willis and the Cruelty of Aphasia’ (Opinion, April 1). I graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1968, and spent the next eight years as an Air Force pilot, flying 370 combat missions in Vietnam. One of the reasons I resigned from the Air Force in 1976 was due to my suffering from the symptoms of Aphasia, a death penalty for a pilot. The next three years I quit seven jobs. I eventually enrolled in chiropractic college. I was worried about making it through school, and practicing chiropractic with my poor memory and clouded thinking. Someone in those first few months of school adjusted my atlas, the top vertebra in the spine where the skull and spine join. My memory and thinking cleared up. I have not had problems since.

I am now 75, and recently retired after practicing chiropractic for 38 years. For almost all of those 38 years, I specialized in adjusting the atlas. You would never believe the number of people whose thinking cleared up after adjusting the atlas, including a very sharp attorney who came to me shortly after a minor auto accident. His speech was garbled and words were coming out backwards. Immediately after I adjusted his atlas he sat up and said, “Thanks for clearing my brain.”

I eventually traced my own clouded thinking back to a neck injury I suffered when I returned from Vietnam the first time.

My advice to anyone who is experiencing the symptoms of aphasia, or even minor clouded thinking, is seek medical attention, but also seek treatment from a chiropractor specializing in “upper cervical” care. They are few and far between. Cervical means neck. The treatment involves no twisting and popping of the neck. At worst, you won’t get any help. But there is a good chance you might just experience a miracle like I did, and saw in other for 38 years.”

The International Chiropractors Association is honored to feature Dr. Pardee in our Member Spotlight.

The International Chiropractors Association thanks Dr. Pardee for sharing his story and the value of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care. The ICA Council on Upper Cervical Care is dedicated to advancing this understanding through education, research, and publicity. From training chiropractors to be experts in the craniocervical junction (CCJ) with enhanced skills, knowledge, and clinical excellence to facilitating growth within the field of upper cervical care and deepening the understanding of this mission to the chiropractic profession. The Council offers a diplomate in chiropractic craniocervical junction procedures. (DCCJP). A new class will be forming in 2023.

The Diplomate In Chiropractic Craniocervical Junction Procedures (DCCJP) is designed for upper cervical Doctors of Chiropractic who may already be proficient in a specific upper cervical procedure but wish to advance their diagnostic, analytical, and clinical skills. The DCCJP also provides significant opportunities to learn about other upper cervical procedures to help improve patient outcomes. Those who participate in this program will enhance their skills and techniques and expand their knowledge as an individual chiropractor in the field of upper cervical care through the International Chiropractors Association Upper Cervical Council. https://www.icauppercervical.com/

January 5, 2021 (Falls Church, VA) The world of chiropractic stands united in its sorrow in learning the news of the passing of Dr. Roy Warren Sweat, a legend of our upper cervical community. We also celebrate his life, his accomplishments, and the legacy for chiropractic and his family that will live on.

Dr. Roy Sweat was honored last year by the state of Georgia for having the longest active license as a doctor of chiropractic of any other doctor. Dr. Sweat passed away peacefully Sunday, January 2, 2022, in Atlanta, Georgia at the age of 94.

Roy was born in Albany, Georgia on June 25, 1927 to Warren V. and Fleda Sweat. He graduated from Albany High School in 1944. He volunteered for the U.S. Navy in 1944 and served during WWII from 1944 to 1946. He attended Palmer Chiropractic College in 1947. While in Davenport, Iowa, he met his wife, Roylan (Coop) Sweat and they married in March 1949. He graduated from Chiropractic College in 1950. Both Roy and Roylan were anxious to leave the winters in Davenport behind them and after graduation moved to Decatur, Georgia. Roy was offered an associate position in 1950 with Dr. Vic Brooks.

In 1953, Dr. Sweat opened his own private practice. He was in private practice from 1953 until his death in 2022. Just before his passing, he was the oldest practicing chiropractor in the state and worked 6 days a week at his clinic on Chamblee Tucker Road in Atlanta.

Dr. Sweat loved his family. They were very important to him. He was a loving husband and father. He enjoyed playing golf with family and friends. He and Roylan were members of the Atlanta Athletic Club since 1950. Roy is preceded in death by his wife, Roylan who passed in May 2001. They were married for 52 years and had three children together. Roy is survived by his son Warren and (Carol) Sweat of Wallace, Kansas, his daughter Whitney and (Dave) Colvert of Marietta Georgia, and his son Matthew and (Tecla) Sweat of Oakwood, Georgia. Roy leaves behind three grandchildren and three great grandchildren and many loving nieces and nephews.

Roy made many significant contributions to the chiropractic field and has been awarded numerous honors. Dr. Sweat was a past President of the Georgia Chiropractic Association. In 1970 he worked with PhDs and Engineers to develop and patent the Atlas Orthogonal Instrument. In 1980, he established Chiropractic Atlas Orthogonality, a specialized upper cervical program. This program is taught as an elective course at several chiropractic colleges and universities and is a Board Certified specialty. He has written a series of four books, and has written 30 articles on the Chiropractic Atlas Orthogonality program.

He was very active in the church and in the community serving as a past president of the Decatur Kiwanis Club and chairman of the Board of Stewards at Pattillo Memorial Methodist Church. He later was active at Decatur First Methodist before moving his family to Norcross, Georgia and later joining Embry Hills United Methodist Church where he was a member.

A memorial service will be held on January 15, 2022 at Embry Hills United Methodist Church in Tucker, GA from 11am to 12pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the R.W. Sweat Research Foundation online or by mail to 3288 Chamblee Tucker Road, Atlanta GA 30341.

Dr. Sweat’s Upper Cervical Synopsis

• Dr. Sweat was a member of the International Chiropractic Association since graduating from college.
• In 2018, Dr. Sweat received the ICA Council on Upper Cervical Care BJ Palmer Lifetime Achievement, “In honor of a lifetime of achievement in the philosophy, science, and art of upper cervical chiropractic.“

• In 1952, Dr. Sweat began a course of study specializing in the upper cervical occipital-atlanto-axial complex under Dr. John F. Grostic in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 1960, Dr. Grostic chose Dr. Sweat to become an instructor at his seminars and help present the Grostic programs. Dr. Grostic died in 1964, at which time Dr. Sweat and four other doctors organized the Grostic Presentation Seminars and continued the specialized training seminars in Atlanta, Georgia.
• In 1977, Dr. Sweat organized the Society of Chiropractic Orthospinology, which presented the same specialized programs.
• In 1981, Dr. Sweat created the program of Chiropractic Atlas Orthogonality, which continued in the specialized educational seminars.
• Dr. Sweat has written a series of four books on Chiropractic Atlas Orthogonality. Dr. Sweat has also written thirty articles published in various chiropractic magazines.
• In 1970, Dr. Sweat designed a chiropractic adjusting instrument and has made a series of seven different models.
• He has designed an Atlas Orthogonal x-ray frame, x-ray chair and attachments for the x-ray machine.
• Dr. Sweat has designed an Atlas Orthogonal computerized radiographic analysis program.
• Dr. Sweat has designed three radiographic analysis templates and a right-handed Cartesian orthogonal coordinate system vector booklet; this booklet is currently in its fourth edition.
• The Atlas Orthogonal program is taught as an elective course at Palmer College of Chiropractic, Life College of Chiropractic and at Sherman College of Chiropractic.
• Dr. Sweat has been on the Homecoming programs at Life College, Life West College, Palmer College, Palmer West College, Sherman College and Parker College.
• He is an associate professor of Life Chiropractic College in Marietta, Georgia, and is associated with their research program.
• He presented the Atlas Orthogonal program at the Parker seminars.
• He is a member of the Presidents Club at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa.
• Dr. Sweat received the Daniel David Palmer Scientific Award on June 9^th, 1995 from Palmer College of Chiropractic, the 1999 World Chiropractic Alliance Researcher of the Year Award, and the 2003 William M. Harris Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Dr. Sweat is Board Certified in the Atlas Orthogonal program.
• Dr. Sweat completed the three-year orthopedic study program from National Chiropractic College.
• He has a graduate certificate in the videofluoroscopy program from Life Chiropractic College.

A life well lived. Thank you Dr. Sweat for your service to our nation, to chiropractic, and with the ICA.

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Dr. Charmaine Herman is being saluted in our Member Spotlight.

Highly accomplished, passionate about chiropractic and advancing the availability of chiropractic education to people across all walks of life; and passionate about promoting chiropractic care, Dr. Charmaine Herman is someone willing to say yes to serving on committees that advance the profession. ICA member, ICA Council on Upper Cervical Care and ICA Diversity and Inclusion Ad hoc Advisory Council.

Dr. Charmaine Herman is a first-generation Doctor of Chiropractic.  The daughter of Jamaican immigrants, she grew up in Brooklyn, New York.  Dr. Herman received her undergraduate degrees in history and biology from the University of South Carolina (USC) in Columbia, in 1991 and 1992 respectively.  After working in environmental health, she returned to USC to complete a master’s degree in US history in 2002 and certification women’s studies in 2003.

After graduating from Sherman College of Chiropractic in 2009, she moved to Atlanta with her husband and began working at Life University as an adjunct instructor in the undergraduate college teaching history and biology. Today she is an Associate Professor in the College of Chiropractic’s Division of Clinical Science.

At Life University Dr. Herman teaches the lecture and lab for the Head and Neck clinical case integration course (CLET 3826) required for 8^th quarter chiropractic students. Additionally, she teaches visceral diagnosis labs, clinical skills labs, advanced clinicals skills lab and the Blair condylar misalignment and analysis elective.

Dr. Herman has been an advisor for various student clubs such as the Blair UC Technique Club, Toggle Club, Upper Cervical Club, NUCCA Club, The Remarkable Practice and the Student American Black Chiropractic Association. Also, Dr. Herman was a faculty adviser for 117 students in the College of Chiropractic.

Dr. Herman is a member of the Blair UC Society research and college liaison committees, the American Black Chiropractic Association (ABCA), and the Christian Chiropractic Association.

At Life University, Dr. Herman is the secretary for the Diversity Committee, a member of the Black Faculty and Staff Association, Black Affairs Council, Rank and Promotion Procedural Committee, Title IX Review Board, College of Chiropractic Assessment Council, Research Track Committee, Diversity Council Liaison and Conduct Review Board. She is also the cultural competency trainer for the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

In 2016, she was the recipient of the Chiropractor of the Year award by the Blair UC Society. In 2018, she was recognized as one of the Top Chiropractors in Atlanta by Atlanta Magazine. Additionally, in 2018 she received the Life University Club Advisor of the Year award. In 2019, she was awarded Upper Cervical Researcher of the Year by the ICA Council on Upper Cervical Care. She has also been awarded the Faculty Excellence award from four College of Chiropractic graduating classes. In 2020, she received the Vulcan Materials Teaching Excellence Award that recognizes an outstanding faculty member who demonstrates strong academic skills in the classroom and provides leadership and support in other areas of campus life.

Dr. Herman, with her husband, Pastor Stephen Herman, own and operate Agape Upper Cervical Health Center Inc. in Alpharetta, GA.  The referral-based cash practice, opened in May 2013, has provided specific and effective Blair chiropractic care to their community and beyond.

Lastly, Dr. Herman has published upper cervical chiropractic and cultural competence in chiropractic education research articles. She has presented research at the International Research and Philosophy Symposium (IRAPS), the Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic Society National Convention, and the Association of Chiropractic Colleges Research Agenda Conference (ACC-RAC) and at Life University Fall Continued Education events. Between 2014 and 2020 she has received six Life University faculty research awards for her research accomplishments.

The International Chiropractors Association is honored to feature Dr. Herman in our Member Spotlight.

BIO – Dr. Charmaine Herman (submitted by Dr. Herman)

Several months ago, Dr. Bob’s work and dedication to the chiropractic profession was highlighted in his local newspaper, The St. Thomas Source. Excerpts of the article by Amy H. Roberts. are featured below.

From the St. Thomas Source: Dr. Robert De Bonis, a chiropractor in Coral Bay better known as “Dr. Bob,” found there truly was a silver lining when Hurricane Irma destroyed his office. “The International Chiropractors Association had been wanting me to take an active role in promoting chiropractic for a number of years, but I could never make the commitment,” said De Bonis. With the loss of his office, however, he decided to take the opportunity to travel.

De Bonis joined a group of eight western chiropractors traveling in China. Accompanied by interpreters, they fanned out, each taking a different route, to treat tens of thousands of patients. Since 2017, De Bonis has been to 30 cities in China on four different trips. “They treat me like a rock star,” he said, his eyes revealing a smile mostly concealed by his face mask worn throughout the interview – a sign of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Though chiropractic was not known in most places he went, the basic idea is not a strange concept for the Chinese. “Chiropractic and eastern philosophy are well-matched,” De Bonis said.

“Chiropractors understand that there’s an ‘intelligence’ or power to the energy that dwells in everyone,” he said. “The Chinese call it ‘Chi.’ This intelligence uses the brain, spinal cord – the entire central nervous system – as the master communication system.”

Dr. De Bonis adjusts a patient in China. (Photo provided by Dr. De Bonis)

“When you’re healthy and you’re functioning correctly, all the body parts are getting the necessary information from the brain and giving necessary feedback to the brain. There are literally millions and millions of signals all the time” regulating blood pressure, kidney functions, the digestive system – all of the body’s functions, De Bonis said.

“Chiropractors are trained to detect and correct nerve blockages. When a spinal bone [vertebra] is out of alignment, it is the first step in disease – a lack of harmony in the body. I check the spine, find imbalances and correct them.” He compared the body to a well-tuned instrument. “There’s a correct tone, like a guitar string. That’s why everyone should come in for a tune-up.”…

To qualify for a degree, chiropractors take 5,000 hours of academic training, taking courses in anatomy and physiology that are almost identical to those required in medical schools. Like traditional medical doctors, they honor the Hippocratic Oath, “First, do no harm.” “We screen people,” said De Bonis. “How you treat a 97-year-old with osteoporosis is different from how you’d treat a healthy middle-aged person. For a baby, you’d use the amount of pressure you’d use on an eyeball. It would be different for a 250-lb guy who lifts rocks all day. I do what’s appropriate, as little as possible, so the body can do the most.”

Dr. De Bonis shares a moment with a baby while in China. (Photo provided by Robert De Bonis)

De Bonis was impressed by the differences between the overall health of the populations of the U.S. and China. “In China, I found more people needed less care. It has to do with the eastern lifestyle. At 9 p.m. you’d find in the town square someone with a little speaker and a microphone, and elderly women and men line dancing. They’ve adopted a healthier lifestyle.” However, with the increased availability of American fast food in China and a love of “all things American,” De Bonis wonders if this will change.

When Hurricane Irma left him with a couple of rain-soaked diplomas and a portable table for treating patients. He took that table to the firehouse in Coral Bay to adjust anyone who needed it following the hurricane. One day, when adjusting a first responder who arrived on St. John from New Jersey, the man looked up and said, “Don’t I know you? You adjusted me at the Javits Center in New York City after 9/11.”

In the last two years, De Bonis has also made two trips to Tonga, an archipelago nation in Polynesia, and one trip to India, where more than a million followers of a guru gathered in a tent city north of Mumbai.

To read more of Dr. De Bonis’ story, please click below.

Story acquired from Dr. Robert De Bonis and written by By Amy H. Roberts – The St. Thomas Source – July 2020 (Photos provided by Amy H. Roberts and Dr. Robert De Bonis)

May 14, 2021 (Falls Church, VA) The International Chiropractors Association (ICA) appreciates the strong leadership displayed by ICA Lifetime member, Dr. Karlos Boghosian during his tenure as President of the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB) from May 2019 to May 2021. No one could have predicted at the 2019 FCLB meeting in San Diego, that a mere 8 months later a global pandemic would be declared, borders would be closed, and stay at home orders would be issued. With Dr. Boghosian at the helm, the FCLB weathered this pandemic storm, while also tending to the regulatory matters of chiropractic across the country and around the world.

The ICA was the first to remind the world that chiropractors are essential health care providers at the start of the pandemic; however, it was Dr. Boghosian’s video message from FCLB that got traction in the community. FCLB moved to help state boards assert this position to their respective state governors and healthcare leaders. Technical assistance including providing sample letters proved to be a timely and successful effort which led some states to re-evaluate their position regarding chiropractors as essential health care providers.

Separate from COVID, Dr. Boghosian and the FCLB has actively engaged on numerous activities that support the chiropractic profession as a whole and align with the the ICA’s goals of protecting and promoting chiropractic. 
The decade long Texas Chiropractic Board battle with the Texas Medical Association over inclusion of the nervous system in chiropractic practice was aided by the FCLB through financial support of an Amicus Brief. The FCLB investment in the future of chiropractic in Texas paid off with a victory in the unanimous opinion of the supreme Court of Texas in favor of the Texas Chiropractic Board.

During Dr. Boghosian’s tenure, the FCLB’s advocacy efforts included:

• Resolution affirming safety and effectiveness of chiropractic care for children in Australia.
• A revision of FCLB’s Model Practice Act for Chiropractic regulation for the statutory definitions “Chiropractic” to include both “Subluxation” and “Primary health discipline that recognizes the inherent recuperative power of the body, to heal itself without the use of drugs or surgery”.
• Three historic resolutions by the delegate assembly:

1. Chiropractic Includes the Nervous System
2. Radiographic Imaging and Chiropractic Practice
3. Recognizing Subluxation

• Management oversight of the organization that included strategic plans, product innovation, organizational structure management processes and collaborative efforts leading to meaningful and material growth both in FCLB’s financial health and visibility of the organization in the past two years.
• The Providers of Approved Continuing Education (PACE) which had over 57,000 in course attendance in 2020. Highest ever recorded since inception.

In May 2021, Dr. Boghosian passed the FCLB baton to Dr. Carol J. Winkler form North Dakota. We congratulate Dr. Winkler on her election and look forward to working with her and the entire FCLB team. We note, that like ICA’s top elected chiropractor, Dr. Selina Sigafoose Jackson, ICA’s new Board Chair, that Dr. Winkler is a second-generation chiropractor whose father was a chiropractic leader (Carol H. Winkler) who served as FCLB President from 1993-1995. 

The ICA values the FCLB role in the chiropractic profession as is an association of chiropractic regulatory boards whose membership extends throughout the United States and internationally. FCLB lessens burdens on state government by providing programs and services to its membership. It is the primary mission of the FCLB to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the consumer of chiropractic services by promoting excellence in chiropractic regulation. Regulation and licensure exist across the globe to protect the public, while affording citizens the ability to utilize duly educated and licensed doctors of chiropractic as part of their health care team. Just as chiropractic is separate and distinct profession, the regulatory needs are in some ways unique and require experts in the profession to guide government regulators through the nuances of chiropractic to insure the best possible regulatory framework for consumers and the profession. FCLB fills that niche.

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