President’s Message

Dear Colleagues,

I hope this message finds you well and thriving in your professional endeavors. It is with great pleasure and pride that I address you today with some exciting updates and announcements within our organization that I believe reflect the dynamic progress and continued effort toward excellence.

Announcement of New Board Members

First and foremost, I am delighted to announce the newest additions to our Board of Directors. These individuals have demonstrated exceptional dedication, expertise, and leadership within the field of sports chiropractic. Please join me in welcoming:

Meghan Faulkner
Michael Lovich (Treasurer)

I want to also extend a heartfelt welcome back to Joel Dekanich (Vice President) for his second term on the Board of Directors. I would be remiss if I did not highlight my other directors who are working alongside these wonderful members, including Allison Adams, Dale Buchberger, Travis Ehlers, Todd Narson, and our public member, Tom Arendt. Their collective knowledge, experience, and insights will certainly enhance our board’s capabilities and our mission to advance sports chiropractic care. I cannot emphasize how fortunate I am to work with such great colleagues.

Recognition of New Certificates

I am also thrilled to acknowledge the achievements of our newest certificate holders who have recently passed their CCSP® and DACBSP® exams in April. Their commitment to excellence and professional growth is commendable, and we are proud to welcome them to our esteemed group of board-certified sports chiropractors.

Completion of DACBSP® Requirements

CCSP®

I will also highlight Brandon Hardin, Charles Hughes, and Kenneth McLoud for completing either the written or practical exam toward their DACBSP® certification. We look forward to seeing you at the finish line soon!

Congratulations to each of you on this significant milestone! Your dedication to enhancing your skills and knowledge will greatly benefit the athletes, patients, and the communities you serve.

Marketing

I am very pleased to share that we have completed the marketing and value survey and we had over 300 responses! A big thank you to Michael Lovich, Todd Narson, and the rest of the Marketing and PR Committee for creating such a dynamic and important survey to help us guide our efforts to bring more value to your credentials. Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond, we will begin pouring over these results in the next few weeks.

2025 Sports Science Symposium in Greenville, SC

Looking ahead, I am excited to share updates on our upcoming 2025 Sports Science Symposium, scheduled to take place in the vibrant city of Greenville, South Carolina from March 27th to 29th. Alongside my co-chair Allison Adams and the National Office, our team is working diligently to create a symposium that will not only provide cutting-edge insights into sports science but also create opportunities for meaningful connections with our colleagues.

With the help of your input from the symposium survey, expect an engaging lineup of expert speakers, hands-on workshops, and networking opportunities that will make this symposium an invaluable experience for all attendees. Stay tuned for more details and registration information in the coming months.

In closing, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each member of the ACBSPTM for your unwavering support and dedication to advancing sports chiropractic care. Together, we are making significant strides in enhancing the health and performance of athletes at all levels.

I also want to take this time to celebrate and thank my predecessor, Dr. Bill Moreau, for his 30+ years of service and dedication to the ACBSPTM. During his tenure, Bill has played a significant role in advancing the achievements of what sports chiropractors can do as members of a sports medicine team, and his efforts have helped shape the direction and success of our organization.

We celebrate the dedication and commitment he has shown throughout his time on the board, and we are grateful for his leadership and the positive impact he has made.

We wish Bill all the best in his future endeavors and trust that his legacy will continue to inspire excellence within our board and beyond.

Thank you for your continued commitment and contributions to our shared mission. I look forward to seeing many of you at the 2025 Sports Science Symposium and celebrating our collective achievements.

In the realm of sports medicine, ACBSP® certified Doctors of Chiropractic play a vital role in the preservation of athlete health. With this specialized expertise, ACBSP® certified Doctors of Chiropractic possess a sports medicine background that uniquely positions these healthcare providers to address a broad range of issues, including concussions. This presidential message elucidates the significance of concussion training for ACBSP® certified Doctors of Chiropractic and the impact on athlete health.

1. Understanding Concussions:
   Concussions are complex traumatic brain injuries that demand prompt recognition and appropriate management. Sports-related concussions can lead to short- and long-term consequences if not properly addressed.
2. Unique Expertise:
   Chiropractors with sports medicine specialization as a Diplomate American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians® (DACBSP®) or Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician® (CCSP®) bring unique skill sets to the management of concussion. Their deep understanding of musculoskeletal systems, neurology, and biomechanics enables comprehensive evaluation and targeted concussion treatment.
3. Early Detection and Assessment:
   Accurate early assessment and correct management is pivotal in managing concussions. Sports medicine certified chiropractors are equipped to conduct thorough evaluations, incorporating neurological exams, cognitive assessments, and balance tests, contributing to precise diagnoses.
4. Multidisciplinary Collaboration:
   Collaboration among healthcare professionals is imperative in concussion care. ACBSP® certified Doctors of Chiropractic training in sports medicine allows them to seamlessly work alongside medical doctors, psychologists, coaching staff, physical therapists, and athletic trainers to devise holistic treatment plans.
5. Personalized Treatment:
   ACBSP® certified Doctors of Chiropractic are proficient in sports medicine and can design individualized rehabilitation protocols. This includes manual therapies, exercise regimens, sports participation return to play planning, and lifestyle adjustments, all aimed at promoting optimal recovery.
6. Return-to-Play Decisions:
   Deciding when an athlete can safely return to their sport requires well informed clinical judgment. Sports medicine chiropractors are adept at monitoring concussion recovery milestones and guiding athletes through the phased return-to-play process.
7. Ongoing Education:
   Concussion science is evolving rapidly. Chiropractors with sports medicine specialization engage in continuous education, staying current with the latest research, protocols, and best practices in concussion management.
8. Athlete Advocacy:
   Chiropractors hold a unique position to advocate for athlete well-being. Educating athletes, coaches, and parents about the gravity of concussions fosters a culture of safety in sports.

Conclusion:

ACBSP® certified Doctors of Chiropractic are instrumental in addressing the intricate nature of concussions in sports. Their holistic approach, multidisciplinary collaboration, and dedication to ongoing education make them indispensable in safeguarding athletes’ health and performance. The significance of concussion training for chiropractors is evident in their ability to contribute to the optimal recovery and long-term well-being of athletes.

The ACBSP™ represents the largest body of recognized chiropractic specialists with more than 2,000 Doctors of Chiropractic who hold current certificates of additional qualification as either a DACBSP® or CCSP®. Since the early nineteen eighties the ACBSP™ has led the development and implementation of chiropractic sports medicine certifications and has succeeded in offering validated credentialing processes. These processes ensure that ACBSP certified sports chiropractors meet competency standards to effectively work with and care for athletes and active people from all walks of life.

The ACBSP™ also offers an annual sports science symposium that provides evidence guided continuing education and research directly related to sports chiropractic. The 2022 ACBSPSports Science Symposium will meet at the Hilton Los Angeles / Universal City with a theme of “Complex Considerations for the Athlete.” The symposium starts Thursday April 28, 2022 and closes on Sunday May 1, 2022. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn and visit with your peers in person in sunny California. The targeted outcome of the symposium is to facilitate the dissemination of the latest scientific knowledge, treatment trends and best practices for patient care. Click Here for more information.

Society is experiencing historic transitions within the health care industry with some shift toward more technology. The ACBSP continues to explore how we can best position the ACBSP and you the certificant to better leverage technology to help in examination delivery and development and promoting sports chiropractic.

The ACBSP is at a crossroads of developing the strategic plan for the future of the ACBSP. We need to be creative while developing clarity regarding how to best preserve what we do well and to creatively adapt to both challenges and solutions. Last month the ACBSP board of directors, examinations chairs and key leaders of the ACBSP met for a strategic summit to best identify the future priorities and strategies for our certificants.

At the meeting we focused on identifying the role of the ACBSP board of directors, how to help the ACBSP build process and policy to provide for a planned consistent forward movement of the institutional directive while also maintaining the fiduciary duty all ACBSP officers and staff are required to honor. Experience seems to indicate the course of the ACBSP is tactically identified by the board of directors at the time which does not necessarily equate to meeting ACBSP strategic initiatives. One position, which I support, is the need to focus on building organizational structure to optimize the role of the ACBSP board of directors to best oversee, or manage, the actions of the implementors of ACBSP strategy: the ACBSP home office staff, examination committees and other committees.

Financially the ACBSP is currently in a solid position. The BOD is slowly building an emergency reserve fund to ensure the financial security and thus the longevity of the ACBSP.

Over the past three decades, the ACBSP has studied and developed new definitions for the certificates of additional qualifications of a DACBSP® and CCSP® on a five-year rotating basis. Please make sure you participate in these surveys when you see these next surveys in a couple years.  The job analysis provides the blueprint for guidance to keep the certification process current and reflective of today’s needs for the Doctor of Chiropractic with a certificate of additional qualification in sports. Then academic programs are notified of the updates.

Over the coming months, the ACBSP will continue to work to better define the ACBSP committee structure and scope of responsibilities and share this information with you. If you see a committee that is interesting to you and you would like to be considered to help please notify the ACBSP home office.

To meet evolving needs of patients, the ACBSP position papers on concussion and the periodic health examination (PPE) will be updated in 2022. We look forward to sharing the updated positions with you.

Your work in health care is embodied in daily patient impact where you spread the word of sports chiropractic. Providing best of class health care to patients from all backgrounds expands upon the good works already done. Patients seek health care experiences where they feel listened to and empowered, and where health care teams collaborate with patients to deliver customized patient centered care informed by evidence, clinical experience, and patient preferences. 

The ACBSP continues to lead the charge for chiropractic specialties and chiropractic practice. The steps forward that we have taken together are still just the beginning. Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers: The Story of Success shared “Working really hard is what successful people do…”. The ACBSP appreciates that you are working hard every day and the ACBSP is working hard to support you. Tomorrow’s solutions will arise from fresh ideas and creative innovations, not from replicating the strategies of the past. I invite you to join with the ACBSP as we continue to design and deliver a plan for the future.