Chiropractic Innovation: The Impact of ICA’s Councils

Chiropractic Innovation: The Impact of ICA’s Councils

In this episode of the ICA Chiro Cast, host Dr. Brant Hulsebus sits down with Dr. Selina Sigafoose-Jackson, past president of the International Chiropractors Association (ICA), to explore how the ICA’s Councils drive innovation, specialization, and leadership throughout the chiropractic profession.

From Pediatrics to Sports & Fitness, Animal Chiropractic, Wellness Lifestyle Science, and Philosophy, the ICA’s councils connect chiropractors across specialties and provide opportunities for education, collaboration, and professional growth.

Learn how these councils support practitioners in advancing their skills, expanding their impact, and preserving the philosophy and integrity of chiropractic worldwide.

👉 Listen and subscribe: https://icachirocast.buzzsprout.com

👉 Learn more about the ICA: https://www.chiropractic.org

Transcript

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Hello and welcome to another edition of the ICA Chiro Cast, where me, Brant Hulsebus, member of the ICA reaches out to different ICA people, leaders and other people within the ICA to talk about what the ICA is up to and exciting news within the ICA and the highlights. Some of our members of what they've been up to. One of the areas that I always find myself talking about when I meet new people, when I'm at a school or someone's asked me, can you, what more can you tell me the ICA is doing? One of the things I'm always part of the ICA is our councils, and so when I called the ICA said, who should I talk to the councils about? I was immediately told to call my good friend Dr. Selena SGA Jackson. Hello? Hi. Hey, Brant. Thank you. Yeah. So for those of us who don't know who you are I'll introduce you as the past president of the International Chiropractic Association. And that's when you and I were hanging out quite a bit and trying to get stuff done. So why don't you tell us a little bit more about you and where you practice and maybe that cool guy you practice with. So my husband Kevin, the cool guy, Kevin Jackson, we practice together in York, PA York, Pennsylvania. We've been here for 34 years. Crazy, but he and I, it, I hit it yesterday. We are together 40 years in January, so we have a pretty huge practice in York. And years and years ago Didi Ember, Dr. Didi had called me. Years ago, I, I remember exactly where I was, I was filling up the, my huge gas tank when I had a Chevy Suburban. And he called me and, and said that we don't, didn't have an RA for Pennsylvania. And he asked me to be an ra. So if Didi asks, I said yes. So that was, I don't even know how many years ago. My girls were little. So they're 29 and 26 now. And then just stayed involved with the ICA as a member after that, my term as the RA ended. And then again 2012, Mike McClain called me and asked me if I'd run with him and Ron Oberstein on the slate to be the secretary Treasurer at the time. And that's when we did things a little different. So again. Mike McClain, he's been big in the ICA or was for years. So I said yes. And so from there it just led from secretary treasurer to vice president to president. So I, I just felt that if you're asked, you say yes, and then we'll figure it out from there. Kind of like this podcast, There you go. I said yes, and we'll figure it out from there Excellent. Excellent. Well, I'm very happy to have you. So let's dive into a couple of these counsels. Let's start off with the first one on my list, the pediatric counsel. I know that's a very active counsel, but can you tell us a little bit about the pediatric counsel? Well, you know, it, its name speaks for itself. And a lot of people get the chi icas pediatric. Council confused with the ICPA, which is the International Chiropractic Association, or ICP, international Chiropractic Pediatric Association, which was gens, not to take away from that, but the ICAS is not the same as the I CPAs. And while yes, you can. Get massive education and earn massive titles in both. We are the ICA, so we promote the, which I do believe that our council has been around first and longer. I do know that this council, which is headed up by Laura Tanni, I believe works their butt off. And really is involved heavily in a lot of science, not just, Hey, how do you adjust a baby? But a lot of science behind the need for, for pediatric chiropractic. And I, I would say it's kind of interesting because as you do, we travel all over our profession and you'll meet people that are with the ICPA and then we'll meet people that are in the pediatric. Council of the ICA and it's like even two different breed of people. So they each attract a different group. And what I see is the people that are in the pediatric council are people that are really heavy in science and research. And that's what's interesting. because you know, as well as I, that. ICA is said that it's the organization or the association that's more philosophical based, and I say, well, yeah. You can't separate science from philosophy, from art, so, so our pediatric council is really heavy on a lot of science-based or what we would take back the name evidence-based as well as our other council. So yes, that's what I know to be, and I'm very proud that the ICA has maintained its pediatric council. I know the ICAS website has changed, but I know previously you could get copies of the pediatric research paper right on their website that's available. It's nothing. It's just available there to. For the taking, and I know I've gone there many a times to pull up a research article and what I understand, in order to complete your certification, you have to publish in the journal. So we have a really talking about science. I mean, it's right there and writing in the journal. So that's an awesome feature. Yeah. And you know, we can be extremely proud as the ICA to have such a council, especially with things that are going on around the world. You know, people wanna deny the need for children in chiropractic, and our council proves abundantly over and over again the need for children to receive from, from birth on chiropractic care. I know I, I was born and brought right across the street to Palmer College and I justify Dr. Strang and I'm 99.9999% sure that you were adjusted immediately after you were born, too. Yes, you are right. Yes, you So Yep. very good. Yeah. let's talk about the one now that does a podcast or a a webinar podcast. Every month I see email to me all the time. The the ICA Council on philosophy. I see that one all the time. Yeah, that one is a little I. of a council, which is sad because, you know, if ICA is the organization that promotes philosophy, you would think that that be a council that were bigger. So, so like the pediatric council. Again, all our other councils. There's a lot of, a lot of between, let's say, what our philosophy council members look like and act like. Very head, very, I mean, they, they have taken the philosophy of chiropractic to the nth degree and weaved it with science. So it's not, I, I want, I like to make clear that philosophy is ads rich and as strong and is I improv ads provable. As any science or art would be, and the Philosophy Council, if we've heard one podcast, that's all it would take for you to say like, whoa, this is heavy, this is strong, this is real, this is viable. The one count, one podcast I listened to, I heard the term and I'd never heard the term before. They use the term Vertere Vir virome vir omere, which is. the whole complex of the vertebra. It's not just the vertebra, but it's the disc, the nerve, the facets. I, I do believe that that's what it means. And I had repeated that to someone else and they're like, what? I never heard of that. So I think it is a, a, a hidden gem within the ICA. And I am glad that we're doing this podcast because a lot of people don't know that ICA has councils, let alone this specific council. So yeah, it's a powerful one. I do believe most of the people that are the head of the council have done research as well as written literature. I live here in northern Illinois. I'm surrounded by half the, the members of that. So we see 'em all the time and I get to hear 'em all the time. It's a little, little treat by where I live geographically, so I'll take advantage of that. wow. There. Well, there's, you gotta find some treat geographically with Illinois. because, Yeah. huh? Just saying Illinois, Yes. I'll admit to that. I Well, is sub tro is is tropical compared to Illinois. Ha. yeah, we, but we do claim we are the second state of chiropractic though. because it was invented across the river, so, yes. well, I, I won't take that from you. Well then, you know, speaking of down by the river there, Palmer College, the very first technique I learned to adjust at Palmer College, which they still teach despite what some people say is toggle recoil. I guess Rico, upper cervical, and I know that we have a really good counsel there too, correct. Oh my God. And again, let's also make clear that the upper cervical council for the ICA includes all upper cervical techniques. So you're right, you've got toggle recoil. We've got, so, so if you look, it's not Blair, it's not nca. Any given time, those individuals that practice that technique can be the head of it. But it is all upper cervical techniques. And I personally have not been to one of those particular council meetings, but my husband has, and he told me. Unbelievable. The, the, again, science of that upper cervical area and how they dove deep into that. And, and, you know, we all learn, we all dissect, we do cadaver dissection and we see the whole body, but there is nothing more brilliant. Then the upper cervical anatomy. Therefore, those people that just specifically do upper cervical is off the charts, got to be deeply it rooted in that science, philosophy and art. But the upper cervical is just, in my opinion, I tell patients all the time that you can. can tell me that I can only adjust one bone in the body. It's gonna be Atlas, and if you take away everything else, I'll still survive. I'll still be able to, to practice my trade. But yes, our upper cervical count is a top-notch. I don't think there's anything on the universe quite as what's the word I want? Like it's a jewel. It is a jewel of the ICA. For, for me, the number one thing I refer my patients out to, like other healthcare providers is upper cervical chiropractors, because I do, I'm pretty much a full spine practitioner, but somebody comes in and they got MS or something interesting going on. I'm like, you know what? I think you need to get that atlas checked. And I think there's people that specialize in it, just like there's orthopedic doctors that specialize in shoulder surgeries over hip surgeries, and that's the number one thing I probably refer people to as upper cervical care. That council is so cool. Yeah. and fight them right there. Yeah. And you know Julie Mayer Hunt, one of the past board members is of the ICA and is on the upper cervical council. Was it, what was, what was that? Paper. She research with how I can't remember exactly what it was, but how the, it, it in the increase in immunity, it is proven through upper yeah. care. Again, it is a, it's, it's a powerful area of the human body and it is a powerful counsel. That's awesome. You know, with that, there's so much research and stuff going on too with the upper cervical care and the, and the science around there, which is another great segue to our next council, the applied chiropractic sciences, talking about research and stuff. how are we gonna lighten the load yet? Are we gonna talk about something that's a little really because that, so, so if we look at the members of that council. Again, I think that like in physics, they say you, you can't see a cork. A cork, but you can see the, the footprint, the trail of the cork. And so when I look at these councils. I may not have been to one or been to one of their meetings, but I see who's in it and I see the, the, oh, the quality and the integrity of the individuals that's in it and, and Dr. Job's, our own president of the, our association is in that council teaches in that council that you can't, I mean. YI like you do full spine. So I don't specialize in pediatrics. I specialize in human beings. I don't specialize in upper cervical, I do full spine. I, I won't say that I specialize in philosophy, but if you're an ICA chiropractor, you specialize in philosophy. I, I don't specialize in personal injury. But a lot of times, some of our philosophical chiropractors think that we compromise. we do personal injury and no, not at all. What these guys have proven that you don't have to compromise a bit if you wanna specialize in personal injury. These guys give you the tools, the the tests, the documentation, the science behind the necessity of chiropractic care, post-injury. It is huge. And again, you just look at the members of that council and you'll see nothing but power and nothing but. full gentlemen and ladies full of integrity. I think that's the council that if somebody really wanted to sit down and say, Hey, it's, it's this chiropractic stuff real, there's no way this could be real. And you wanted to have your posse come and defend you, you'd probably want that counsel to come and be the ones that sit in a room with lawyers and everybody and just, and teach them, you know what, this is real. Let me show you how it's real. Yeah. So. and use the word, I love the, the word eviscerate. Eviscerate. Any naysayers? Yes, Yeah, that's the crew. So we got one more council. We wanna talk about this one I know a little bit about. This was gonna be the one that helped spread the word of chiropractic. Tried to get the message out there. And we do that through sports and athletics. So we have this, the Chiropractic council on sports and fitness Science. Yes. I will take a little bit of a feather for my cap with this one because during my tenure as president, we saw that the sports council. was just about one thing and that was the Arnold Classic. And through COVID that all ended and a, a little bit of drama and had occurred with through that. And so we made the decision to either cuss at council. reestablish it. And I'm very proud that you, along with Dr. Todd McDougall and my husband Kevin Jackson and some other fantastic dedicated gentlemen, have stepped up to the plate to, how would ate as, as Dr. Sid would say that particular council and, and, and I know because I've been in on some of the phone calls and I've overheard some of the phone calls, you know. Not everybody is like you that goes into sports teams or Dr. John Stookey who travels with the PGA or goes to the rodeo, or Todd McDougall who does strongman. Not everybody wants to get into those arenas. One of the things that my husband, Kevin says that everybody should at least learn how to do a technique to an athlete. get some type of certification and then be the mom or the dad that works for these high school and little league sports teams and be the team chiropractor. And what better way to put your foot in the door than to just say, listen, I am part of the ICA Sports Science and Fitness Council. I've got a certificate, or I have membership and, and, and your card carrying member to give, to help get the foot in the door to these schools. We talk a lot about the sports council, how a couple different areas, but one, we could be the ambassador to chiropractic. I take care of Russian hockey players and there's no real chiropractic going on in Russia. So I'm the first and only exposure to have the what we do and how important it's that we present it the right way, the way it should be presented. That, and a lot of people too, I've had students come to. My office and said, where is your rehab a department? I said, rehab a depart. I'm a chiropractor. And they said, no, no. Aren't you a sports chiropractor? And they're shocked that you could do subluxated base. Chiropractic care and athletes and whether I've taken care of just about every sport you could have and everybody comes in before the season starts, we take full spine x-rays and everybody, we have their listings on the wall when we go into the locker room, we have a table there and we don't adjust 'em after the game. We know so before the game. because they want to play better and perform better and act better. And it's it's been a lot of fun to educate people that I don't have to know a RT to be a sports chiropractor. I have no idea. So we do all that without that stuff. So. Yes. Yeah, it's huge. It is. It, it's really an avenue, especially for young doctors that they wanna just get their foot in the door and make a name for themselves and make a name for chiropractic sports is the way to go for sure. I'll never forget in the eighties when my dad freaked out when this guy stole a press pass and snuck onto the sidelines of the 49 ERs and adjusted Joe Montana on national tv. This is when I was a kid and my friends didn't even know what a chiropractor was and. Here's Joe Montana getting a chiropractic adjustment on live tv. That can only happen in one thing in that sports. yeah, a So that was, Yeah. Yeah, that was really, really awesome to see. Yeah. then, you know, I'd be, I miss to say we just got a brand new counsel too, and a whole new type of patient, like not your typical patient by any means. So we should probably end talking about this one with the most unique patient, correct? Yeah, yeah. Our, our Animal chiropractic council, and, and again, I'm gonna put another feather in my cat because I thought this is a no brainer. This is an absolute, you know, Dr. Bill Nortrom and his wife Amy Hayes are from. Texas and they chiropractors, animal chiropractic. You go there and you get a certain level of education and certification and he really pushed and wanted the ICA carry a diplomat. Now we're still unfolding and unpacking this, but it is an absolute council within the ICA yeah, it is so important that a chiropractor to do it correctly, as Bill says, it's amazing how many chiropractors say they adjust animals and really can create more harm and make more of a bad name. And Dr. Tro is probably the most philosophical person I've met. He, I, I didn't realize that he wasn't a chiropractor. He had the chiropractic philosophy practiced in. In veterinarian science, I don't wanna call it medicine, because he isn't about medicine. He is about turning on the, the, the reestablishing connection between the brain and the body for an animal, all animals. And what's wild about this council is that they're, they're not just talking about a patient. in their family, dog or cat. They're talking about food, animals where they go and they adjust herds of cattle or, or flocks of chickens because they have proven that the eggs and the meat coming from chickens after being adjusted or off the chart. Improved and greater than those that just are not ever touched by a chiropractor. So I am proud of that council and I look forward to seeing what it'll do in the future. So you've had it happen to you a thousand times where somebody comes in your office like, is there any chance you could adjust my pet, my pet dog, or my pet cat? And in my clinic we have a a vertebrae from a cow. One of my associates brought it in and the spinous process on that is gonna be this long for a body that big. And I know when we count Thoracics, you fill you know, you fill the spin a level one up. Mm-hmm. if you fill that spine, you're filling five levels up. And I explain to my patients like, I don't know a cow's anatomy or dogs, how the facet joints lay and how they lie and the right angle. And I don't wanna do anything to injure an animal, of course. And so I think this council certifying doctors that, because there are those who learn it. And I think having the certification is gonna be vital to make sure that your pet or your animal, your horse, gets the best of the best. And what better organization to do it through than the ICA? Because it maintains the philosophy that we hold so near and dear in our heart for, for human chiropractic care. There it's no different for than for animal chiropractic care. We still have the same philosophy. And now we get to write the rules. We get to write the laws. because we have the council. We're the ones that has something to go to. When you're not at the table, you don't have your foot a seat at the table. You can't participate and you can't participate, then you can't complain about what happens. That's the way I look at it. yeah, yeah. A hundred percent right. Absolutely. Well, fantastic. Well, thank you for joining us and educating people on the councils. It's been a lot of fun to catching up with you too. Thank you. I didn't know that. I didn't know that we could spend this much time talking about these glorious councils, so awesome. Well, if, if I hope everyone, I hope our ICA members are watching this and other people maybe that are thinking about joining the ICA or asking what the i a is up to. So if you like this video, make sure you like and subscribe and free. Share it with your friends. Let other people know what we're up to. And Dr. Selina, any last final words? I'd like to give my guest the stage one last time. Well, just like you said, if you're thinking about becoming an ICA member, why not? It's something to be very proud of. ICA is on the move. can have your own thoughts and ideas of what ICA is doing, but you have just heard it from the horse's mouth. We are moving and grooving. Awesome. Well, thank you so much for joining us. Keep coming back and checking out more great podcasts. I just, Dr. Selina and I were just talking about all the future guests coming up and we got a rockstar lineup of chiropractors and high ca people for you to come meet, learn more about. Some of you see him, he has something to talk to him about. So thanks for tuning in and we'll see you again real soon. Thank you.