The Blair Faculty Instructor certification serves to assure the doctor and student alike that the Faculty Instructor is considered qualified to teach the basics of the Blair Technique on campus as the equivalent of the Blair Primary and Intermediate Seminars by virtue of passing the testing procedures established by the Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic Society Inc, 501c3. A full description of the Blair Primary and Intermediate Seminars can be obtained from the Blair Chiropractic Membership Association website; which includes the Blair concepts of misalignment of the upper cervical spine, spinographic technique for the imaging of specific articular misalignments, the interpretation of spinographic findings, leg length procedure and analysis, paraspinal skin temperature differential pattern analysis and all Atlas and Axis side of laterality and side-opposite single misalignment adjustments.

Faculty Prerequisites

1. A minimum of 2 years of experience in teaching and/or practice.
2. Attendance of 1 full three-part Blair Technique seminar series given by a Certified Blair Instructor.
3. Either be a full-time faculty member of a chiropractic college or part time chiropractic college instructor while also in private practice.

Faculty Application Process

1. The request for Faculty Instructor Certification should be submitted to the Director of Certification and Instruction of the Blair Chiropractic Membership Association via email: admin@blairchiropractic.com.
2. The request is to be accompanied by proof of attendance of at least one set of Primary, Intermediate and Advanced Blair Seminars, including seminar dates and names of instructor(s).
3. A non-refundable payment of $100 to the Blair Chiropractic Membership Association is due in full prior to the initial examination.

Faculty Imaging Examination

1. Once the application has been accepted and approved by the Director of Certification and Instruction, the Applicant will be assigned 2 certified Blair Instructors to grade the imaging portion of the examination.
2. Submit five (5) complete sets (not necessarily consecutive) of Blair Upper Cervical X-Ray or CBCT images to the two selected instructors.
   1. The submitted imaging needs to be marked and analyzed by the applicant. For Faculty Instructor Certification, it is not necessary for the applicant to have taken the actual x-rays or CBCT imaging. In some cases the imaging may be provided to the Faculty Instructor applicant.
   2. At minimum the Blair X-Ray series is made up of an:
      • A-P open mouth,
      • Base posterior,
      • Left Lateral Cervical Stereoviews (2 rotated views taken with either tube shift or patient shift as described in the Blair Manual)
      • Right Lateral Cervical Stereoviews (2 rotated views taken with either tube shift or patient shift as described in the Blair Manual)
      • Left Protracto View (stereoviews when necessary)
      • Right Protracto View (stereoviews when necessary).

*Retakes or supplemental views may be included in each film set as necessary to obtain readable images of the articular margins of each of the joints in question.

1. At minimum the Blair CBCT Image series is made up of an:
   • A-P/P-A cervical in MPR (minimumslice thickness of 20mm with midpoint at center of the occipital condyle),
   • Base Posterior using APL method or 45 degree method in MPR (minimum slice thickness of 30mm with center of the axial plane at the Clivus),
   • Left Protracto Views in MPR (Minimum of 40mm of thickness and showing both the convexity and Slope clearly),
   • Right Protracto View in MPR (Minimum of 40mm of thickness and showing both the convexity and Slope clearly),
   • Posterior Cervical in 3D
   • Left lateral Cervical in 3D (Include all necessary views to clearly show the lower cervical misalignments)
   • Right Lateral Cervical in 3D (Include all necessary views to clearly show the lower cervical misalignments)
   • (Recommended, not mandatory) Left ‘’Arch/Curve Protracto Slices’’ at Part 1(Slice thickness .5-2mm),
   • (Recommended, not mandatory) Right ‘’Arch/Curve Protracto Slices’’ at Part 1(Slice thickness .5-2mm), *Additional Images can be added to obtain readable images of the articular margins of each of the joints in question
2. The requisite Imaging Analysis Form to be filled out for each of the 5 cases will be sent via email after request to be tested has been approved.
   • Listings for C1 to C4 must be marked.
   • All angles from C1 to C4 must be marked.
   • Contraindications and pathologies should be noted.
   • Preferred contact based on listing, angles and anatomy should be recorded.
3. Traditional Film X-Rays: Include two stamped and addressed envelopes one made out to the second Instructor and the other to yourself. The Director of Certification and Instruction will give the appropriate addresses of the instructors.
4. Digital X-Rays and CBCT: Digitally taken x-rays or CBCT images (as described above) need to be submitted as jpegs, tiff, png. The Certified Blair Instructor grading the imaging examination may also request the entire DCM file to confirm findings.The Image files and folders of each case should be properly labeled and shared via dropbox or google drive to both instructors.

2. Instructors will evaluate film quality, patient placement and findings.All five sets must pass with 70% or greater from each instructor.
3. Failure to pass one or more sets: the applicant may submit a like number of sets within a 90 day period in order to avoid another $100 application fee and resubmittal of another 5 sets.

Download Applicant Imaging Packet

Download CBCT Guide

Faculty Practical Examination

The applicant will be notified by the Director or Certification and Instruction following successful completion of the Imaging portion of the examination.  The Director will then select and contact 2 Certified Blair Instructors to perform the Practical Examination portion of the Blair Faculty Instructor Certification.

1. Demonstration on a toggle monitor (or other appropriate device) adjustments for all Atlas and Axis side of laterality and side-opposite single misalignment adjustments. The applicant will be required to explain each listing regarding both the mechanism of displacement and correction. Each simulated adjustment may be attempted twice.
2. If the analyzed imaging was not taken by the applicant, then the applicant must show the capacity to take the Blair series of x-rays either in an x-ray setting or describe the process in detail.
3. The Applicant must set up, explain and show correct patient placement for the side posture toggle table.
4. Skill must be shown in paraspinal thermography and pattern analysis. The applicant should be fluent with the types of scanning machines and the purpose of bilateral skin temperature differential devices.
5. The applicant will be required to manually demonstrate leg balance tests as they are taught in the Blair seminar series. This should include the modified Derifield/Thompson prone leg check, Cervical Syndrome Tests, and Modified Prill spinal balance leg checks.

Faculty Oral/Written Examination

This is usually done in conjunction with the Practical portion of the process. The applicant is to be tested on the Blair principles of articular misalignment in relation to joint mechanics and spinographic imaging of the upper cervical spine.

Passing Faculty

1. Each section of each certification is considered passed if the applicant scores 70% correct from each of the two instructors. A “passing” mark must be earned for each of the three requirements set forth above (Imaging, Practical, and Oral/Written examinations), within a period of three years of the initial examination or submission.
2. Following successful completion of all portions of the Blair Faculty Instructor Certification process, the results will be forwarded to the Director of Certification and Instruction.

• The Blair Faculty Instructor Certificate will be awarded at the next Annual Blair Conference or mailed to the applicant in the event he/she cannot attend the conference.

Maintaining Faculty Instructor status

1. The doctor must submit to periodic re-evaluation by Certified Blair Instructors at the choosing of the Director of Certification and Instruction.
2. Maintain professional conduct as a credit to the legacy of the late Dr. William G. Blair.

• The Certified Blair Faculty Instructor will ONLY be allowed to teach the Blair Technique on campus or at other college approved sites. Attempting to present Blair seminars privately off campus could result in revocation of Faculty Instructor certification.
• Failure to comply with the requirements mentioned above or altering the instruction away from the guidelines established by William G. Blair, D.C. will result in either inactivation or revocation of the Faculty Instructor certification. Any classes taught without an active Instructor certification will not be approved by the Blair Society, and students will not be able to use those classes towards their own certifications.