The power of the chiropractic adjustment for the specific purpose of removal of vertebral subluxation is something sacred and unique to our profession. The specificity applied and the care taken by the chiropractor when delivering this adjustment, as well as the possibility for the human body to accept this adjustment for the appropriation of self-healing is something that has decreased in value more and more every year. This is partly due to the practices of certain operations in the chiropractic profession. Operations such as The Joint® have been lowering the perception of the value of the adjustment since 1999. For example, they currently offer a monthly plan that gives a patient the right to 4 adjustments for a total payment of $50, for a price of $12 per adjustment.

On Tuesday July 28, 2015, Life University hosted a doctor from the “$20 Chiropractic” chain of clinics in our cafeteria. This chain currently operates 5 clinics in the greater Atlanta area. This clinic was in Life University cafeteria to recruit 14 quarters worth of unsuspecting students to expand their chain and open their own clinic under the umbrella of “$20 Chiropractic”.

When a member of the Board of Trustees for Life University was asked in a public discussion about this tolerance for the practice of decreasing the value of the chiropractic adjustment, she was either unable to address the claims due to ignorance or was unwilling to address them. Both possibilities are unacceptable. All administrators, faculty and staff - as well as the alumni and students - represent Life University. It is also true that Life University represents the administration, faculty, staff, alumni and students.

While we recognize that we cannot control how a chiropractor practices or charges for this specific adjustment, we contain enough integrity, congruency and conviction in our philosophy to point out something that devalues our profession and state our objection to such practices being represented by our institution.

The students and alumni no longer wish to be represented in a way that further devalues the chiropractic profession.

We believe that this practice of further devaluing the chiropractic adjustment for the specific purpose of removal of vertebral subluxation is severely hindering the potential growth of the chiropractic profession as a whole as well as the public perception of the adjustment’s true value. If this practice of devaluation is allowed to continue without objection, the value will simply be lowered over time until there is no value at all.

Therefore, it is the desire of the students and alumni of Life University and chiropractic institutions across the country that Life University and its administrators, faculty and staff to halt the promotion - within Life University - of all chiropractic organizations which devalue the chiropractic profession and the potentially vast positive effects of the chiropractic adjustment.

Life University is founded on Eight Core Proficiencies, the first two being Integrity and Leadership. “Integrity provides the underpinning for the responsible exercise of our rights and responsibilities as human beings. Integrity leads to empowerment and excellence, while a lack of integrity results in mediocrity. Life University teaches students how to manage personal integrity and function as valued citizens within the academic, healthcare and larger communities.” Life University and its administration need to be congruent with the organizations and companies it allows to infiltrate the walls of this campus and come near its students. Life University needs to hold itself to the same standards it holds each and every student, or it becomes hypocrisy in itself, not to be taken seriously.

Therefore, we believe it essential to the advancement of the chiropractic profession that we take necessary measures to ensure that the inherent value of our adjustments is not undervalued.

UPDATE: 24 hours after the release of this petition, we received the following from the President of Life University:

"Please post the following on my behalf.

To all concerned TORs:
I just learned of the presence of a group on campus advocating $20 adjustments. I am trying to run down how they were allowed to have a booth at Vendor's Day, but I can absolutely tell you this is in no way sponsored or endorsed by Life U. Anyone who knows me at all or has been in any of my classes and lectures knows that I am 100% opposed to this form of Chiropractic and believe it is an abomination to our profession. Many of these groups have tried to make appointments to meet me and plead their cases....I have refused to meet with them and will continue to speak out against anyone who devalues what we hold so dear.
You may sign a petition, but it won't make much difference as I will, with or without a petition, stop this whenever possible.
I must add that as students, you should not just stand up against this type of practice, but also commit to stop devaluing what we do by cracking joints and performing gross manipulations on friends in apartments and at parties, etc. Let's all use this experience to commit ourselves to the highest level of professionalism and expertise when it comes to the analysis and correction of subluxation and the impact we have on the nervous system.
Dr. Riekeman
President"

THEREFORE, it is the further purpose of this petition to request that The Joint® Midtown office be removed from the list of PEAK offices. We believe that in order for Life University to be congruent with the beliefs of its President (as well as the administration and students) and our strong opposition to The Joint®, its style of practice and its role in the devaluation of the chiropractic profession, there should be no opportunity for unsuspecting students to be participants in this organization.

The Level III - PEAK experience is arguably the single most important phase of a student's education. If the student is exposed to this abomination of the chiropractic profession, it is because the administration and clinic directors afforded them the opportunity to become a part of this franchise.

This petition is conducted by:

Matthew Blackmon and Steve Lako, December 2015 Doctor of Chiropractic graduating class.