Global Chiropractic Research
An Interview with Dr. Phillip Ebrall BAppSc(Chiropr), DC(Hon). TCC, FICC, FACC, PhD from the Asia-Pacific Chiropractic Journal
Conducted by Dr. Sarah Kotlerman BS, DC, NTP
Dr. Phillip Ebrall is a visionary leader in chiropractic education and research whose career spans four decades of transformative work across continents. As Director of Chiropractic Education and Research at Chiropractic India, Ebrall is pioneering chiropractic education programs. His work with the Asia-Pacific Chiropractic Journal (APCJ) demonstrates his commitment to democratizing chiropractic research and making it accessible to practitioners worldwide. With nearly 230 indexed scholarly publications and multiple books, Dr. Ebrall’s influence on the chiropractic profession extends far beyond his formal academic roles.
Dr. Ebrall, thank you for taking the time to speak with me. To start, your publishing credentials are quite extensive. I understand you have approximately 229 indexed scholarly publications. That’s extraordinary. What drives that level of productivity? Dr. Ebrall: I believe that if you see something broken that you have the power to fix, you fix it. I saw gaps between the outcomes in clinical chiropractic practice and what was reflected in studies and academia. This is what prompted a lot of my efforts in publishing, authorship, and even the founding of the Asia-Pacific Chiropractic Journal. Many people do not realize that there are many different types of research: quantitative and qualitative; different methodologies and reporting; and it all tells an important story that supports chiropractic education and outcomes.
Can you tell us about the Asia-Pacific Chiropractic Journal (APCJ )? Dr. Ebrall: The Asia-Pacific Chiropractic Journal was established in 2020 during a time of great uncertainty and censorship, when I realized there needed to be a way to share the truth, specifically about chiropractic and its outcomes. There was a need for a peer-reviewed journal that could serve the global chiropractic community. The APCJ is based on three pillars: freedom, truth, and health; we are the journal that publishes what chiropractors are doing and talking about.
What role should chiropractic research play in chiropractic education? Dr. Ebrall: Research is foundational to any clinical science. Students need to learn not just clinical skills but how to evaluate research, contribute to the research base, and practice in an evidence-informed manner. The APCJ is part of that ecosystem— by providing a global platform for publishing research and making that research freely accessible in multiple languages, we’re creating an infrastructure that supports innovative, results-based chiropractic practice worldwide. The
educational programs we
develop will train practitioners who both contribute to and draw from this research.
Can you tell us about one of the important collaborations between APCJ and the new Indian chiropractic school that is opening in September 2026? Dr. Ebrall: We will require all chiropractic students to publish research prior to graduation. These are very intelligent people who enter chiropractic programs; we need to incentivize their participation in chiropractic research. Many of the first Indian chiropractic cohort are existing PhD students, and they are ready to play a big role in research.
Dr. Phillip Ebrall
Is the APCJ peer-reviewed? Dr. Ebrall: Absolutely! We have rigorous peer review, with constructive, aligned design. For example, the case studies you have published with APCJ went through multiple layers once accepted: first the professional authorship team, then the journal review, and finally multiple rounds of independent peer
review. We have an international panel of reviewers with expertise across multiple chiropractic disciplines and related fields. What distinguishes our process from many other journals is that we view it as an educational opportunity to improve the profession and the scientific community rather than as political gatekeeping.
What are some of the new and exciting changes that are happening with the APCJ? Dr. Ebrall: The goal is to be useful to the profession, specifically by being readable and available. So one of the new changes is that every article is now live online and can be translated into multiple languages, making these studies and papers global. We are not going to grow chiropractic education by importing American chiropractors; you have your role to play in America. We have to teach and train the people living in these countries to bring chiropractic to their communities.
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Can you explain why you support publishing case studies at the APCJ? Dr. Ebrall: I have always been a strong supporter of case reports; I’ve written and published them, and I have seen colleagues sneer at them, which is a great shame because case reports often serve as the seed for larger research projects. Case studies have to be published so the larger research community knows what to study.
How did the case study project start? Dr. Ebrall: It was the confluence of ideas from like-minded people aimed at seeing what could be accomplished in chiropractic research. From the beginning, it has been a partnership between
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