Joseph J. Sweere

Director, H.C. Sweere Center
H.C. Sweere Center for Clinical Biomechanics and Applied Ergonomics

Personal Information

As the founder of and an advisor to the H.C. Sweere Center for Clinical Biomechanics and Applied Ergonomics at Northwestern Health Sciences University, I am excited to offer my academic and professional expertise to our Sweere Center clients. I am honored to be considered a leading authority on occupational health, wellness and safety education, as well as on the art, science and philosophy of chiropractic. I have also served as a business consultant to numerous U.S. companies, as well as non-profit, health-related organizations.

I practiced chiropractic in Owatonna, MN for 25 years and have been a full-time chiropractic educator since 1986. Most recently, I taught as a professor in the Department of Diagnostic and Clinical Sciences in the College of Chiropractic at Northwestern. l am the author of Golden Rules for Vibrant Health in Body, Mind and Spirit: A Holistic Approach to Health and Wellness and editor of Chiropractic Family Practice: A Clinical Manual. I am a diplomate with both the American Board of Chiropractic Orthopedists and the American Chiropractic Board of Occupational Health, as well as a fellow with the International College of Chiropractors.

Currently, I serve as chairman of the Rehabilitation Review Panel for the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (MN DOLI) and I have served on the Workers’ Compensation Advisory Board for MN DOLI. I am also the Minnesota chiropractic representative to the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In addition, I am the founder, current president and member of the Board of Directors of the International Academy of Chiropractic Occupational Health Consultants (IACOHC).

At Northwestern, I am also the coordinator of the continuing education programs on occupational health and have been a member of the postgraduate faculty of ten chiropractic colleges. I served as the coordinator and principal instructor of postgraduate orthopedics at Northwestern from 1976 through 1979 and from 1996 through 1999.

In 1999, I was selected to serve as the chiropractic spokesperson at the federal (OSHA) stakeholder’s meetings regarding the Proposed Ergonomics Standard for the prevention of neuromusculoskeletal disorders. From 1980 through 1986, I was the principal investigator for the Viracon Project, an industrial spinal injury prevention program. I am also the developer of the Biomechanical Stress Index (BSI), involving physical and biomechanical screening for the prevention of work-related lower spinal injuries.

Education

  • Doctor of Chiropractic – Northwesten College of Chiropractic, 1961
  • Diplomate (DABCO) – American Board of Chiropractic Orthopedists
  • Diplomate (DACBOH) – American Chiropractic Board of Occupational Health

Publications

  • Sweere, J. Golden Rules for Vibrant Health in Body, Mind and Spirit: A Holistic Approach to Health and Wellness. Basic Health Publications; 2004
  • Sweere, J. ed. Chiropractic Family Practice: A Clinical Manual. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishers; 1992.

Awards and recognitions

  • Fellow (FICC) – International College of Chiropractors
  • Minnesota Chiropractic Association (MCA) Outstanding Educator Award, 2009
  • Northwestern Health Sciences University Brilliant Star Award (Stars Among Us Gala), 2007
  • Council on Occupational Health of the American Chiropractic Association Joseph Sweere
  • Living Legacy Award, 2006
  • Northwestern College of Chiropractic Teacher of the Year Award, 1990 and 2006
  • MCA John Allenburg Meritorious Award, 2002
  • MCA Chiropractor of the Year Award, 1979
  • Northwestern Distinguished Alumnus Award – first recipient
  • Listed in Marqui’s Who’s Who in the Midwest; Who’s Who in Chiropractic International; Who’s Who among American Teachers; Marqui’s Who’s Who in Industry and Finance; and the Manchester Who’s Who Among Executives and Professionals

Professional memberships

  • Member of the American Chiropractic Association
  • Member of the Advisory Council of the International Federation for Holistic Medicine, 1994
  • Past President of the Minnesota Chiropractic Association (MCA), 1976

Professional presentations

  • Featured presenter, World Chiropractic Congress, Rio DeJaneiro, Brazil, 2011
  • Presenter of “The Fundamentals of Chiropractic,” Northgate Hospital, Tianjin, China, 2011
  • Featured presenter, Alternative Interdisciplinary Conference for the Management and Prevention of Acute and Chronic Pain, Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico, 2000
  • Featured presenter, Swiss Chiropractic Congress, Basel, Switzerland, 2000
  • Speaker, National Safety Council Congress, Los Angeles, California, 1998
  • Presenter, World Chiropractic Congresses, London, England, 1993 and Cancun, Mexico, 1994
  • Presenter, European Chiropractic Union Convention, Bergen, Norway, 1989
  • Featured presenter, International Conference on Occupational Health sponsored by the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control, and the U.S. Public Health Service, 1988.
  • Presenter on occupational health, World Chiropractic Congress, Sydney, Australia, 1988
  • Presenter of technical papers, American Public Health Association Conference, 1986 and 1987