Founded: 1926 by B.J. Palmer, DC
Organization type: The International Chiropractors Association (ICA) is a 501(c)(6) organization, a designation the Internal Revenue Service reserves for business leagues and boards not organized for profit.
Organizational leadership: The ICA is operated by a board of directors, which includes an executive committee made up of a president, vice president, secretary-treasurer, board chair, and chair of the representative assembly. Other members of the board are members-at-large and regional directors.
Mission statement: “To protect and promote chiropractic throughout the world as a distinct health care profession predicated on its unique philosophy, science, and art of subluxation detection and correction.”
Future vision: The ICA states that its ultimate vision is to “empower humanity to optimal life expression, health and human potential through specific and scientific chiropractic care.”
Furthermore, the organization intends to achieve this goal by following a defined set of objectives, some of which include promoting chiropractic as drug- and surgery-free treatment, fostering professional development, raising ethical standards and working effectively with other organizations.
On its website: To stay current in chiropractic—both as it relates to the ICA and to chiropractic in general—you can go to the ICA’s website and click on the “News” tab. Here you’ll see all of the ways the ICA advocates for the profession as well as some of the newest legislation and research in the field.
The ICA also has an “Events” tab on its home page which shows a few of the upcoming summits, conferences, trainings and other events you may want to sign up for and attend to increase your knowledge and improve your practice and its offerings.
To join: Upon joining the ICA, members receive online access to the ICA Review and The Chiropractic Weekly, as well as to marketing materials and a variety of content dedicated to improving both professional and patient education.
Members are also listed in the Membership Referral Directory and become eligible for discounts on other products and services ranging from mattresses to liability insurance.
Rates are determined by membership category and include:
- Student membership - $50 one-time fee (covers time in college plus first year post-graduate)
- 1st year as a Field DC: $20 per month
- 2nd year as a Field DC: $24 per month
- 3rd year as a Field DC: $38 per month
- 4th year as a Field DC and up: $55 per month or you can purchase a lifetime membership for $5,000 ($1,500 for international members)
- Faculty at a chiropractic college: $20 per month for faculty teaching eight or more hours per week
- Spouse or family member in the same office: $27.50 per month if in the U.S. or $10 per month international; to qualify, both the Field DC and spouse or family member must have the same level of membership
- Emeritus or retired: $11 per month; available to those who’ve been active ICA members for more than 15 years
- Disabled DC: $20 per month
- Layperson or patient: $120 per year
Most of the fees can be paid quarterly or annually as opposed to monthly if desired. Also, applications can either be submitted online or you can download one and mail or fax it in.
The ICA also offers a variety of more specific groups, or councils, you can join as well. They include:
- Council on Chiropractic Pediatrics
- Council on Upper Cervical Care
- Council on Fitness & Sports Health Science
- Council on Wellness Lifestyle Science
- Council on Chiropractic Philosophy
- Council on Applied Chiropractic Sciences
Contact information:
International Chiropractors Association
6400 Arlington Blvd, Suite 800
Falls Church, VA 22042
Phone: 703-528-5000 or 800-423-4690
Fax: 703-528-5023
