Quo Vadis: Chiropractic or Health Science

Quo Vadis: Chiropractic or Health Science

January 7th, 2010 // 8:00 am @ Dr. Todd Osborne // 4 Comments

Welcome to 2010!  I am hoping and believing for a great year for chiropractors and chiropractic!  Over the Christmas break I cleaned out a storage shed with a lot of old practice files, magazines, etc., most of it good only for the burn pile.  However, I did come across a few gems in things I had saved, one of which was 3 issues of the International Review of Chiropractic (ICA magazine) from 1961!  No I am not that old, in fact wasn’t even born yet!  But the chiropractor that proceeded me in that practice had saved them.  I have had ball reading them over the holidays and have found one thing to be sure, the more we think things have changed, the more they stay the same!  We have the same things going on the profession today that we did 50 years ago!  In any case, they make great blog materials, so I will be utilizing them in my blog in the upcoming months.

I wanted to start off with Quo Vadis, which translated means “Where are you going”.  I have to ponder where is the profession going?  Are we staying chiropracTIC and ChiropracTORs or are we going somewhere else?  With many “schools” to even using the word chiropractic in their name anymore and the training students are receiving at many  ”schools” being anything but chiropractic I have to wonder.  Are we going to remain a distinct and unique healing art or just go for the money, insurance reimbursement, and acceptance?  I know which route I am going come hell or high water, but what about the masses of our profession?

I have included a copy of the editorial by Dr. John Thaxton, the ICA 1st Vice President at the time, from the April 1961 issue. Also, for your enjoyment is a copy of the cover.  It has been written on and beat up a bit, but them so am I and I am not as old as the magazine!  The gentlemen pictured are General Joseph Adams, ICA Legislative Consultant and Senator Warren G. Magnuson, U.S. Sentator.  They are displaying Senate Bill 1055, which essentially put Chiropractic into Worker’s Comp.  That is another blog for another day.  The editorial, as you can read, was regarding the Osteopaths selling out and joining mainstream medicine, and of course Quo Vadis.  (please open the PDF file below to see both cover and editorial page)

I completely agree, 50 years later, that we must be careful not to degenerate into the position of being different by name only, chiropracTORs do offer a distinct service to the sick.  And, certainly what we think, do, and say today will determine our professional tomorrow, just as is did 50 years ago.  We are currently having more than a “gradual drift” away from chiropracTIC toward medicine, Health Science, or whatever you want to call it!  It is time that we determine our professional future.

And so I ask: “Quo Vadis?”

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