ATLANTA – December 3, 2025 – The Georgia Council of Chiropractic (GCC) was recently featured in an article published by The Chiropractic Chronicle, authored by Dr. Matt McCoy, examining what he characterizes as one of the most significant philosophical and political shifts within the chiropractic profession in decades.

In the article, Dr. McCoy situates the GCC’s recent resignation from the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) and its new affiliation with the International Federation of Chiropractors and Organizations (IFCO) within a broader national and international context. He argues that long-standing concerns over governance practices, election procedures, and organizational direction have prompted a growing number of chiropractors and state associations to reassess their affiliations.

A central theme of the article is the increasing influence of national and international institutions involved in chiropractic education, testing, licensure, and policy development, including the Council on Chiropractic Education, the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards, the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners, and the World Federation of Chiropractic. Dr. McCoy contends that these organizations have promoted a more centralized and standardized model of chiropractic that some practitioners believe conflicts with traditional chiropractic philosophy and professional autonomy.

Within this framework, the GCC is described as a state organization with a long history of defending chiropractic identity in Georgia, particularly in a regulatory and legislative environment where scope of practice and professional definition have been ongoing points of debate. The article notes that Georgia has historically been a battleground between differing visions of chiropractic practice, making the GCC’s organizational decisions especially visible at the national level.

Dr. McCoy includes remarks from GCC Vice President Drew Henderson, who emphasizes that the decision to affiliate with the IFCO was driven by principle rather than politics. According to the article, Dr. Henderson characterized the move as a deliberate alignment with an organization that consistently defends chiropractic’s founding tenets and opposes centralized control over professional identity.

The article further argues that the IFCO represents an alternative international platform for organizations seeking greater independence from global regulatory and educational consolidation. Dr. McCoy frames the GCC–IFCO affiliation as part of a broader realignment among chiropractors who believe the profession’s future depends on clarity of purpose, transparency in governance, and resistance to monopolistic control structures.

While the article reflects Dr. McCoy’s analysis and perspective on current events within the profession, GCC leadership has reiterated that the Council’s primary focus remains unchanged: serving Georgia chiropractors through advocacy, regulatory engagement, education, and member support. The GCC continues to evaluate national and international developments based on how they affect chiropractors practicing in Georgia.

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Editor’s Note:
This article summarizes and contextualizes commentary published in The Chiropractic Chronicle by Dr. Matt McCoy. The content has been condensed and edited for relevance to members of the Georgia Council of Chiropractic. The original article is available here: The Georgia Council of Chiropractic Joins the IFCO as an Affiliate Signaling a New Era in Chiropractic Leadership