Welcome to another episode of The Words Matter Podcast.

We’re on episode 15, and we take a minor detour away from the common theme of previous episodes to talk to Professor Dave Newell about conspiracy, dogma and belief within our respective professions osteopathy and chiropractic.

Dave graduated from Plymouth University with a PhD in molecular biology in 1986, and he holds positions of Professor of Integrated Musculoskeletal Healthcare and Director of Research at AECC University College and the post of Senior Research Fellow at Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton.

The last last 30 years have been spent teaching and generating research in chiropractic institutions internationally holding the position of Research Director in two other chiropractic programs in the UK and abroad. Dave has considerable experience in teaching research methodology, critical thinking and the natural sciences as well as curriculum design, validation and accreditation of chiropractic programs.

He has published extensively in areas relevant to musculoskeletal conditions in general and the chiropractic profession in particular. Dave's contemporary interests and expertise include Patient Reported Outcomes, Service Provision Research and the role of contextual factors in the therapeutic encounter.

Dave is also one of the hosts of icarechirocast, an international podcast discussion with influencers and leaders in the chiropractic profession. 

In this episode we talk about:

• The continued tension between evidence-based practice and the practice of osteopathy and chiropractic.
• The importance of critical thinking, scientific reasoning and how evidence is either misinterpreted or over interpreted in conspiracy thinking.
• The role of dogma within osteopathy and chiropractic practice; the origins and spread of these traditional dogmas and their appeal to modern day clinicians and students.
• We discuss the continued challenge and pursuit of professional identify for both the chiropractic and osteopathy professions and the barriers and facilitators to developing a progressive and contemporary epistemology of practice.
• We go in the anti-vaccination views within chiropractic, osteopathy and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) more generally

As you will hear, Dave and I could have talked all afternoon, and if it wasn’t for the hottest day of the year in the UK, we probably would have continued the discussion into the evening.

If your not an osteopath or chiropractor, there’s still plenty in this episode for you. Dave has a real breadth and depth to his knowledge which will have value for all critically minded clinicians.

I bring you Professor Dave Newell.

Find Dave on Twitter @NewellDave

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