FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 28, 2020 (Falls Church, VA) Today, the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) issued a revised and expanded evidence-based report providing information from the peer-reviewed literature regarding research related to the immune function, the nervous system and the existing body of evidence that support the theory that chiropractic care may have a positive effect on the immune system. The ICA has also announced the expansion of its web-based information portal that will be updated on a regular basis with information designed to help support the profession with the most up to date and reliable information available.
The Global Pandemic of Coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) has drawn attention to the importance of the immune system for health and wellness. As of March 2020, there are no cures for COVID-19 accepted in the scientific community. There are no recognized cures in conventional medicine or alternative health approaches for COVID-19. There are no vaccines, no drugs, no natural remedies, no alternative therapies that have been tested with the outcomes peer reviewed to meet any credible evidence-based standard in science. This includes chiropractic.
The importance of quality research in immune function is not predicated on a global pandemic. What the pandemic draws attention to is the need for increased research funding for studies on the relationship between chiropractic care, the nervous system and the immune function. Chiropractic is an evidence-based profession. In looking at the potential benefit of chiropractic care, the whole body of evidence, not simply the systematic review or the double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial is important. The ICA emphasizes that there is no current clinical evidence to indicate what role chiropractic might play in the prevention or management of COVID-19.
Dr. Stephen Welsh, ICA President stated, “In communities across the country and around the world, chiropractors, as essential health care service providers, stand ready to assist their patients during this time of heightened stress. It is well established that extended levels of stress can adversely affect the immune system. ICA members provide care to first responders, front-line health professionals, and all others who are currently working under extremely challenging circumstances. We are working globally to meet the needs of our members and to help them serve their communities.”
The ICA Revised Report on Immune Function and Chiropractic – What Does the Evidence Provide? is available on the ICA COVID-19 Resource Page.
The Mission of the International Chiropractors Association is to protect and promote chiropractic throughout the world as a distinct health care profession predicated upon its unique philosophy, science, and art of subluxation detection and correction. We will continue to work each day to fulfill this mission.
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