Would You Rather Be a Chiropractic Therapist?

Kansas was the first state to pass a law licensing chiropractic in 1913. In 1974, Louisiana became the last state to pass chiropractic legislation. The road to establishing a credible chiropractic profession was long, hard and complicated. We didn’t settle for just any licensure; we fought to establish ourselves as doctors of chiropractic.

During this time, the chiropractic profession in the United States was extremely vulnerable. Battles were fought in every state. The medical profession and many others did all they could to thwart these efforts and prevent the recognition and growth of chiropractic.

When D.D. Palmer began teaching chiropractic in 1897, it was only a three-month course. Immediately recognizing the need for significantly more training, this quickly expanded to a nine-month program. Additional courses in anatomy, physiology and pathology were added when B.J. Palmer took over, with a greater focus on chiropractic adjusting, expanding the coursework to a minimum of 18 months in 1910. By 1919, a complete chiropractic education required at least three years and six months.

Because they have yet to pass national legislation protecting the chiropractic profession, Japanese DCs are in a similar situation that U.S. DCs faced. We were fortunate enough to be able to pass chiropractic licensure state by state. The DCs in Japan must accomplish this nationally, which has proved to be an extremely difficult task.

In spite of their efforts, Japanese DCs are currently faced with two chiropractic professions. The first requires significant undergraduate work followed by 3-4 years in an accredited doctor of chiropractic program. The second profession requires two four-day seminars to open a “chiropractic” clinic, with a total of 20 additional days of seminars to qualify for a two-week chiropractic program taught at Texas Chiropractic College (TCC).^1-2

Imagine what would have happened if a group of U.S. chiropractors back in the early 1900s had insisted it should only take three months to gain the necessary knowledge and expertise to become a chiropractor. Your degree as a doctor of chiropractic would likely be replaced by a certificate as a chiropractic therapist.

You wouldn’t deserve the title of “doctor” and wouldn’t be considered a first-contact provider. If you could find employment, it would be working in a medical doctor’s office, hospital or maybe a day spa for minimal wages.

With no prerequisites, anyone could become a chiropractic therapist (CT). This would mean a constant supply of new CTs who had just completed their 500 hours of training, passed their licensing exam and were ready to compete for the limited jobs available.

There’s a reason why the average lifespan of a massage therapy career is 5-7 years. After being a CT for a while, you would move on to some other job.

Unlike this imagined situation in the U.S., Japan has a small group of doctors of chiropractic who have graduated from accredited chiropractic programs and belong to the WFC-recognized JAC. But in addition to being challenged by the medical profession, they are also being marginalized by minimally trained persons whose primary purpose is to sell products that enrich the retailer conglomerate for whom they ultimately work.

Imagine if a legitimate Canadian chiropractic profession decided to line its pockets by offering weekend seminars and associate membership to the U.S. chiropractic therapists, rather than help them establish the profession we currently enjoy. U.S. CTs would be happy to become associate members of a legitimate chiropractic national association assuming it would give them an edge when they went job hunting at hospitals and day spas, ultimately preventing the chiropractic profession from ever developing.

Oddly enough, the same institution (TCC) happy to provide chiropractic training to Japanese people with less than a month’s worth of seminars requires their incoming U.S. students to have 90 semester hours of prerequisites. In place of the two-week intensive chiropractic seminar offered to the Japanese students, their U.S. students are required to take 10 trimesters of instruction.

Fortunately for the Japanese students, they already have a clinic, which will grow larger based on the credibility of a certificate from an accredited U.S. chiropractic college. Over the past four years, an average of one out of five (19.4%) TCC graduates were not able to practice six months after graduation because they hadn’t passed all parts of the licensing exam the Japanese students aren’t required to take. Needless to say, the cost varies dramatically for the U.S. students vs. the Japanese students.^3-4

And how is it that the American Chiropractic Association is comfortable making TCC “two-week wonders” international members, allowing them to use the ACA’s brand, logo and claim they are members of the largest chiropractic association in the United States? Is there no allegiance or accountability to the Japanese Association of Chiropractors (JAC), which is struggling under retail oppression?⁵

Why aren’t we supporting the JAC in its effort to pass national chiropractic legislation, instead of supporting non-chiropractors in their effort to make sales?

When did trashing the developing chiropractic profession in other countries become OK?

Are the actions of TCC and ACA just about the money?

What excuse would you use in your apology to members of the JAC to apologize for this kind of irresponsible behavior?

How do these actions reflect on the integrity of each one of us who is a member of the U.S. chiropractic profession?

You should feel embarrassed and ashamed about what’s happening. If you don’t, ask yourself why.

References

1. About Zenkenkai’s Chiropractic Business Program: https://www.zenkenkai.jp/seminar.
2. About JCA Education Program: https://www.japan-chiropractic.jp/program/.
3. Admission requirements for TCC Doctor of Chiropractic degree program.
4. TCC DC Completion Rates.
5. “ACA Welcomes Japanese Members.” American Chiropractic Association, May 7, 2024.