Activate Your Practice Podcast
The Activate Your Practice Podcast is hosted by the Chairman & Founder of Activator Methods, Dr. Arlan Fuhr. This podcast will cover a variety of subjects. Dr. Fuhr will interview guests from different backgrounds and professions, as well as talk about his 50+ years in chiropractic care.
Activate Your Practice Podcast
Chiropractic's Evolution: A Decade of Global Progress with Dr. Richard Brown
A decade of transformation in global chiropractic comes to light as Dr. Richard Brown, retiring Secretary General of the World Federation of Chiropractic, shares his remarkable journey with Dr. Arlan Fuhr. Their conversation reveals how chiropractic has evolved from a peripheral profession to an evidence-supported healthcare approach recognized worldwide.
Brown's proudest achievement—the "Be Epic" campaign—epitomizes his vision for chiropractic: Evidence-based, People-centered, Interprofessional, and Collaborative. This simple framework resonated globally, unifying diverse stakeholders from national associations to educational institutions under a common philosophy. Throughout challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, this foundation proved invaluable as the WFC supported practitioners across 96 countries navigating unprecedented healthcare disruptions.
The healthcare landscape has shifted dramatically during Brown's tenure, with international guidelines increasingly recommending non-pharmaceutical, non-surgical interventions—precisely what chiropractors deliver. This evidence-based evolution has positioned the profession favorably, but Brown emphasizes two critical frontiers: demonstrating cost-effectiveness to policymakers and embracing the growing need for geriatric care. With aging populations worldwide fearing mobility loss and social isolation, chiropractors hold a unique opportunity to maintain seniors' independence and quality of life.
As Brown transitions to new roles including judicial work as an appointed magistrate and continued practice in an integrated medical setting, he leaves the profession with both wisdom and optimism. His leadership philosophy—humanity, humility, and integrity—offers guidance to future leaders, while his parting message resonates with possibility: "The best is yet to come." Through continued research investment and healthcare integration, chiropractic stands poised for its most impactful era yet.
I am Dr Arlen Foer, the Chairman and Founder of Activator Methods International. Welcome to Activate your Practice Today. I'm very happy to say that I have the Secretary General of the World Federation, who I interviewed a year ago and, just for all of our audience, I want you to know, he had the most downloads 56,000, of anybody we've interviewed over the year, and we've interviewed a lot of people. So good morning, richard.
Speaker 2:Arlan, it's wonderful to be back and thank you for giving me the opportunity to come and speak with you again.
Speaker 1:I'm kind of sad about this meeting because, as you know, richard is retiring after 10 years at the WFC, and so he has handpicked, along with his committee, a new Secretary General. But I'm going to miss him, because we worked for at least almost a full 10 years together supporting the WFC, and as you step down now, what are some of the key milestones and achievements that you're most proud of during your tenure as a Secretary General?
Speaker 2:Well, it's been quite a journey, arlan, and, as you say, we've worked together for 10 years, and you know that we worked together before that, when I was at the European Chiropractors Union. So you and I go back a long way, arlan, and can I just say what an absolute privilege it's been. And so what are the milestones? What are the achievements? Well, you know, it's been quite a journey and it's been exciting. I think one of the things that sticks in my mind the most is our Be Epic campaign. This is something that we launched around 2017, with the EPIC acronym standing for Evidence-Based, people-centered, interprofessional and Collaborative, and little did I know at the time that we launched this that it would really catch on around the world. It would catch on with national associations, it would catch on with student bodies, it would catch on with educational institutions, and the Be Epic campaign is something that is simple. It's been effective and it's given people a focus. It's given the WFC a focus. So I think I'm really proud that that has really taken off. I think also the fact that we've developed as an international organization. I think one of the things that has been really rewarding is the fact that we have this convening power, the opportunity to bring people together from all backgrounds, all nature of the profession, and it's been really exciting. So I think it's been really exciting. So, you know, I think it's been quite a ride and you know, as you say, I'm coming to the end, but you know, there's a lot of stuff to look back on and also a lot of stuff to look forward to.
Speaker 2:Well, how do you think the profession has evolved? Well, you know the profession has evolved through. You know, a number of things. We developed a vision and that vision is a world where all people, in all nations, of all ages, have access to chiropractic, so that populations can thrive and reach their full potential. And coupled with that, we have our mission, which is to advance awareness, utilization and integration of chiropractic internationally. So I suppose, when we look back and we look at how the profession has evolved, I would like to think that through having this focus, this mission, this purpose, you know, more people know about chiropractic, more people are using chiropractic and chiropractic is now integrated into health systems internationally and also integrated into people's personal health teams.
Speaker 1:What do you think the biggest challenge you faced during the whole tenure?
Speaker 2:Well, I think that the biggest challenge that we faced during the tenure and I'm sure this is not for me, just as the Secretary General, I'm sure that almost every other CEO of almost every other organization, of almost every other organization, would look back on the last 10 years and say that the COVID-19 pandemic was probably the biggest challenge we faced it came out of nowhere, we had no real experience of dealing with anything of that magnitude and it was really a journey into the unknown. So we were like many others. We were having to navigate a global pandemic with no instruction manual. So it was really just trying to work with our members, trying to listen to the challenges, be a listening ear for our 96 country members and try and help them navigate through the challenges in their own countries with their own particular challenges.
Speaker 1:What progress has been made in integrating chiropractic into mainstream health care?
Speaker 2:Well, I think that really there has been a shift globally towards non-pharmaceutical, non-surgical interventions. When you look at some of the guidelines that have come out, the international documents that have come out, this has really driven a shift in the status of chiropractic globally, because the evidence now Arlan, is on our side, you know, guideline after guideline, recommendation after recommendation, is talking about the very interventions that chiropractors are trained and educated to deliver. And so, with the guidelines stating that, whether it's manipulation or exercise, prescription, or patient education, or the biopsychosocial model, this all plays into the model of care that the majority of chiropractors globally adopt. So, you know, it couldn't have been better for us in that respect.
Speaker 1:Well, you know, I used to have a sign in my office and it said try chiropractic first, medicine second and surgery last. Now I'm not so sure that wasn't a pretty good sign last.
Speaker 2:Now I'm not so sure that wasn't a pretty good sign. I think that was entirely accurate. I mean, my daughter is an orthopedic surgeon, so her life is surgical intervention, and I think she would say exactly the same as what you've just said. You know, I always think the mark of a good surgeon is their reluctance to operate unless there are clear indications to do so.
Speaker 1:You know, the WFC placed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion in recent years. What steps have you taken to make chiropractic a more inclusive profession?
Speaker 2:Well, you know, one of the things that I've said right from the beginning is that the WFC should be there for the many, not for the few.
Speaker 2:Wfc should be there for the many, not for the few. So it's important that what we do is relevant to the majority, if not all, of our stakeholders. You know, we have members from seven world regions and, of course, with the social determinants of health, what health looks like from one country to another, what region to another, is entirely different. And when I talk about these social determinants of health, these are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, age and die, and so that can be hugely different between the United States and countries like Botswana, for example, where I've worked. I had experience working there with World Spine Care and I've seen it firsthand, some of the challenges that people face with healthcare. So the fact that the WFC can have relevance in the United States, relevance in Botswana, relevance in our other regions, is really, really important. And the other thing is that it's important that, as the WFC, the people at the WFC are relatable to the community that we serve, and that's really important too.
Speaker 1:I remember being a delegate to the WHO, the World Health Organization, and my wife said, as we walked out after about the third day, how have you categorized this? And I said on the right were the third world countries, which was infection. On the left were the more diverse and more developed countries and theirs was arthritis. I mean, it just was obvious to me it was chronic disease versus acute disease. And I remember you've been around the WHO for a long time. Do you buy that kind of a look at it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think that the WHO has evolved and I've been very proud to be the designated focal point for the WFC. We have really invested in developing our relationship with WHO. The WHO has been around since 1948, so they preceded us by 40 years. They had a definition of health which was a complete state of physical, mental and social well-being, not just the absence of disease or infirmity. They have never changed that definition in all the years that they've been involved. But I think, arlan, it really plays into what we do as chiropractors not just focusing on symptoms but focusing on the whole person, and the concept of whole person healthcare is something that's very much alive with the WHO now and they've shifted their emphasis.
Speaker 2:As you say, when it was started it was about combating the millions of people that were dying from conditions like malaria and cholera and TB and smallpox and syphilis and measles. You know these were those communicable diseases, but in recent years they've recognized the importance of non-communicable diseases and musculoskeletal conditions. Low back pain, we now know, is the largest single cause of years liver disability on the planet. And who is the profession that is well-placed to manage spinal conditions? It's chiropractors.
Speaker 1:Well, you know, everybody looks at sports injuries. Every young student that I talk to wants to be a sports injury doctor for a big team and I interviewed Monty Hessler, who is the team physician for the Phoenix Suns and the San Francisco Giants. He's got like three rings for World Series for the San Francisco Giants and I said help me with this, monty, how long did it take you to get to the big leagues? He always said it was quite short 14 years. And so I throw that out when I'm teaching in colleges, you know, because I say don't expect to be on a big league team in the first six months that you're out of college, because it's not going to happen. And so I think probably the future is evolving in that direction. So they're seeing how good chiropractic can be. Now, what areas of chiropractic research excite you the most?
Speaker 2:Well, I think there are two areas in particular. I think one of the things that we need to demonstrate is cost effectiveness. We know that chiropractic is effective. We know that the interventions that chiropractors use in their daily practice are effective because they feature in guidelines. They feature in the Lancet, they featured in other WHO recommendations, but when you speak to politicians who are going to be the decision makers in relation to the integration of chiropractic into health systems, the one question they ask is look, we know that what you do is effective, but you need to show us that it's cost effective, because, ultimately, that's the question that the bean counters are going to ask. That's the question that the policymakers are going to ask. So we need to make sure that we're not just effective but we are cost effective, and so I think that's the area of research that excites me most.
Speaker 1:You know, I have been assessing this whole thing because people ask you know you're a veteran, yeah, like 60 years and they ask what do you see? And I say you know what I see happening by 2030, half the population in the United States is going to be 65 or over population in the United States is going to be 65 or over. The geriatric population is a huge market and we can't put everybody in a nursing home and so mobility is a big deal and having chiropractors on the front to keep them mobile and keep them active. So I think, but we need to have that data published.
Speaker 2:You're absolutely right, arlan, and I've been doing a lot of work in and around public health, as you know, for many years and I've spoken recently on public health and one of the things that I say is that some of these areas of chiropractic can be very exciting and fast-paced, but the key area if you want to build a long-term, sustainable chiropractic practice it has to be focused about the care of older people, because the one thing, the one thing that frightens older people more than anything else is loneliness, and they find themselves less able to move and less able to mobilize and they become more and more housebound, they become socially isolated. Then I think that is a tragedy for older people. They can't, they can't go out, visit their friends, they can't visit their grandchildren. So making sure that we can focus our energy on making sure that the older people stay mobile, stay active, enable them to live happier, healthier, more active lives, is absolutely the key to where I think chiropractic can really really make a difference in society.
Speaker 1:Well, you know, my wife had a knee replaced here about five years ago and then she had a ligament torn in her trochanter and so I have lived through the 10 months on a walker. For an A-type person, you know that's not a good thing and she made it through with. You know, with chiropractic care, because, for example, we're having a seminar in St Louis at Logan University on April 12th and 13th but we're going to talk about geriatrics and how to take care of people that have had replaced hips and replaced knees and things like that. Just so the average practitioner out there knows what do I do?
Speaker 2:Exactly. It's so important because you know, when you rehabilitate someone who's had that experience and you know surgery is just the first step, you know what do you do post-surgery. You know, once you've had the surgery and the surgeons sign you off, what happens then. And this is where chiropractic can make a difference Chiropractors who understand that it's about function rather than about pain, about getting people moving, getting people stronger and rehabilitating them back into normal life. That is life-changing for people.
Speaker 1:What advice do you give the next generation of chiropractic leaders, those who will take the profession forward?
Speaker 2:Well, you know, it's always an interesting question when I get asked about leadership and you know I've been privileged to be in this position of having a leadership role for a number of years now, as you know, and I suppose that my advice would always be encapsulated in three letters H-H-I. And what do I mean by H-H-I? Well, I think the key pillars of leadership are humanity, humility and integrity. Are humanity, humility and integrity. And I think if you have those three and you keep your focus on humanity, humility and integrity, you won't go too far wrong. You can never expect yourself to be an expert in everything, so when you've got a good team around you, that's important. You've got to recognize that you don't know everything, but you've got to get a team of people around you that you can really work with and rely on. But for me, the compass that's really guided me during my time that I've been privileged to act in these roles have been those three qualities, and I've tried my hardest to stick with those Excellent advice.
Speaker 1:So what's next for you personally?
Speaker 2:Well, that's always an interesting question as well. People think I'm just going to seamlessly step into something else, and nothing could be further from the truth at this time. I would, you know. One of the things I need to do is just take a breather. You know, doing this role is intense and you know from the millions of miles that you've traveled on and over the last you know, 40 something years that really it is quite a brutal lifestyle. You spend a lot of time on airplanes, you spend a lot of time in departure lounges and you spend a lot of time in hotels. I want to use the time to take a pause, take a breather, spend quality time with Caroline, my wife and my daughters and my grandson, and really refocus and reset on what are the really important things in life.
Speaker 2:Chiropractic has been such a fundamental part of my existence for the last 35 years, but you know it's time to give them the time that they deserve to have, because they've been putting up with my shenanigans over the last three decades.
Speaker 2:So I've got that, but I've got other things as well. As you know, I've got a legal background as well as a chiropractic background. So I'll be continuing to do some medico-legal work some consultancy around ethics and law and legal principles. I've been appointed by the Ministry of Health as a magistrate, which means that I will be working within the community as a justice of the peace, which is an appointed position by the ministry in the UK. So I will be sitting and hearing cases on a on a wide range of criminal law and I'm looking forward to doing that. And I've also still got my one day a week where I'm in practice. I keep it real. I stay working as a chiropractor. I work within a medical practice and a GP referral basis and I love seeing people within that medical practice who would otherwise not have access to chiropractic.
Speaker 1:Don't you think this is maybe a new model? You know the integration practice.
Speaker 2:Well, integration is what it's all about, and at the start of our conversation, arlan, we talked about advancing awareness, utilization and integration. You know, and and you know it's it's no good for me to be, to be spouting off and and and talking about these things without trying to live, live it and walk the walk ourselves. So, you know, by doing what I'm doing and it's a pro bono service you know I'm not doing it for the money. I just think that we have a duty to give back to society as chiropractors and being able to work with my colleagues in medical practice who are loving the service because, let's face it, most GPs hate treating back pain and spinal pain. Well, they don't know what to do with it. Well, they know that they're limited and they happily admit that.
Speaker 2:So, to have a chiropractor on site in their practice that takes out the 20-week waiting list that many people face in the UK before they get to see someone with specialist knowledge around spinal disorders To have someone on site is something that they really like and they value, and so it's been a great relationship that we've developed and I'm really enjoying it. I just, you know, I love being a chiropractor. I love the hands-on, I love seeing people come in and tell their stories, and nothing gives me more joy than having a patient come to you and say that well, what you've done, what you've said, what you've advised, has helped me and helped me get back to normal life. Nothing is more rewarding than that.
Speaker 1:You're right. What's your final message?
Speaker 2:Well, you know, my final message is really that the best is yet to come. You know, I think that when I look over the course of my lifetime as a chiropractor and I'm sure you will say the same you know, no one would have imagined where we would be in 2025. But we shouldn't be complacent. The best is yet to come. Let's invest more in research. The best is yet to come. Let's invest more in research, let's develop the evidence base, let's develop our integration, let's work to be part of everyone's healthcare team. And I think if we can do that, if we can focus on that, if we can seize the opportunities when they come, we will continue to thrive and chiropractic will continue to go from strength to strength.
Speaker 1:Richard Brown, the Secretary General of the World Health Federation, stepping down for that just shortly here, but thank you for your service and I've seen so many good things happen. That's why in Activator, we were supporting you for 10 years, I believe, and we felt it was worthwhile because of the good job that you did and were doing, and you've looked for a replacement and found one, so thank you very much.
Speaker 2:Well, arlan, it's been an absolute pleasure and I know that our friendship will continue. You are a dear friend to me, as is Judy. You have been steadfast in your support throughout for the World Federation of Chiropractic in general and me in particular, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate the support that you've given.
Speaker 1:Thank you and good luck.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
