History of Chiropractic: Leaders, major events, institutions; Historical foundations of the healing
The Canadian Memorial Chiropractic Collage (CMCC) utilizes a vision to create health care professionals with an expertise in spinal health in order to provide the best possible patient centered treatment (1). At CMCC the mission is also to provide chiropractic education and ongoing research findings (1). This last statement is important when attempting to compare CMCC’s vision and mission with Palmer and Stephenson’s 33 postulates. Similarly, the ideologies of CMCC, Palmer and Stephenson, all recognize the importance of the spine and nervous system to be crucial in the prevention and/or development of injury and disease. In contrast however, CMCC places a strong emphasis on the importance of research and evidence based practice when educating its students and treating its large population of patients (2). Alternatively, Palmer and Stephenson believed and practiced based on a more vitalistic treatment approach. They described injury and/or disease to be caused by a blockage or interruption to an innate intelligence energy that resides in the body and ultimately impedes the nervous system from functioning properly (2).
Bartlett Joshua ‘B.J.’ Palmer, the founder of chiropractic D.D Palmers son, decided to let the world know about the discovery his father had made. B.J. talked his father into starting a school for people to learn the art of chiropractic. In 1898, he founded the Palmer school for Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa (3). Since B.J Palmer's began to advocate what his father created, especially the start of chiropractic schooling and education, the philosophy and science of chiropractic has grown and progressed significantly (3). As a result, I feel as though this was a very important and crucial time period in the history and progression of the chiropractic profession. Today, advanced chiropractic diagnostic procedures and the emphasis on scientific research makes chiropractic the world's fastest growing health care profession.
Chiropractic in Canada has made substantial progression in the last half century. Before 1943, there was no option to study Chiropractic in Canada, any aspiring Chiropractors had to study in the US (3). However, in January 1943, in Ottawa, Canada, there was a gathering of Canadian chiropractors that began to advocate the profession, forming the first chiropractic association in Canada (3). Arguably the most crucial moment in Chiropractic history wasn’t until September 18th 1945, which marked the opening of the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) (3). Rather than adopting one specific ideology the CMCC decided to teach a variety of different techniques and procedures. In 1945, the decision to include such a variety of techniques was new and has since paved the way for a majority of today’s chiropractic colleges and the way they are run (3). With further research and debate chiropractic began to gain recognition commercially and within the medical field. Finally in 1970, chiropractic was added to the Ontario Health Insurance Plan for partial coverage without the referral from a Physician, giving the practice a positive representation. More recently, chiropractors were finally given the right to diagnose (3). There has been significant development in regards to the chiropractic profession in Canada and this movement does not seem to be slowing down. With the abundance of scientific literature being published yearly, the chiropractic profession will continue to be recognised.
References
1. Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College [About CMCC on the Internet]. Toronto ON: CMCC; c2015 [cited 2015 Oct 5]. Available from: http://www.cmcc.ca.
2. Haldeman, S. Principles and Practice of Chiropractic. 3rd edition. United States of America: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.; 2005.
3. Veer HJ., Lee HK., Keating JC. Early Canadian Chiropractic Colleges. Chiropractic History1997;17:57-68.
