The National Association of Chiropractic Medicine (NACM) apparently no longer exists. Responding to an inquiry regarding the organization's status from another chiropractor, a March 6, 2010 e-mail sent by NACM's national executive director, Ronald Slaughter, DC, said it all: "All good things come to an end. We tried. We failed. Chiropractic is a 'failed' profession."
Since its inception back in 1984, the NACM operated as a tiny fringe organization, but one that at least for a little while was the proverbial pain in chiropractic's side. Throughout its history, the NACM attempted to impact the way that chiropractors practiced as well as what they believed. Their most ambitious effort was an attempt to create a new profession of "orthopractic" under the Medical Practices Act in 1994.1-3 And while the newly formed orthopractic group was vocal in its stance denouncing chiropractic pediatrics,4-5 their existence was short lived. The "orthopractic" movement essentially failed in less than a year due to the inability of practitioners to be licensed as "orthopractors."6-7
The NACM's activities, certainly in terms of their relevance to the profession, subsided substantially following the orthopractic debacle. In fact, there is little evidence that the organization did anything that impacted the chiropractic profession over the past decade and a half, and according to an online referral directory, the group was estimated to have fewer than 100 members.
As of press time, the NACM Web site (www.chiromed.org) is no longer accessible. Exactly how long the site has been down is anyone's guess. The last recorded existence of the site is May 30, 2008. Like the National Association of Chiropractic Medicine, it too has disappeared with little notice.
Dynamic Chiropractic reported on NACM activities, particularly with regard to the orthopractic issue, on numerous occasions. The articles referenced below provide some insight for chiropractors young and old who would like to learn more about the NACM's efforts to impact the profession.
References
- "NACM Seeks to Create New Profession: 'Orthopractors.'" Dynamic Chiropractic, May 20, 1994.
- "Orthopractic Unveiled." Dynamic Chiropractic, June 3, 1994.
- "Orthopractic Under Scrutiny." Dynamic Chiropractic, July 29, 1994.
- "Orthopractic Declares War on Chiropractic Pediatrics." Dynamic Chiropractic, Sept. 23, 1994.
- "Orthopractic Attacks Chiropractic Pediatrics on Canadian TV." Dynamic Chiropractic, Oct. 21, 1994.
- "Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards Takes Stance against Use of Term 'Orthopractic.'" Dynamic Chiropractic, Aug. 12, 1994.
- "Chiropractic Licensing Boards Deem 'Orthopractic' Misleading." Dynamic Chiropractic, Nov. 18, 1994.
