The following abstracts are reprinted with permission from Chiropractic History, the official journal of the Association for the History of Chiropractic. Chiropractic History is the leading scholarly journal of the chiropractic profession dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of the profession's credible history. It is indexed by the National Library of Medicine in Histline (History of Medicine online), the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and the Manual Alternative and Natural Therapies Indexing System (MANTIS). Full-text articles are also available from EBSCO Publishing.
Editor's Note: "Do Clothes Make the Healer: A History of Physician Attire With Implications for Current Practice" is omitted here because the study is discussed in detail as a stand-alone article in DC.
Despite Friendly Fire: Opposition to Chiropractic in the Magnolia State
Robert Leach, DC, MS, CHES, FICC (h)
Forty years ago, Mississippi became the second to last U.S. state to license chiropractors, despite opposition both by the medical profession and a divided chiropractic profession. Opposition to the new law continued when it was challenged by the Mississippi State Medical Association in 1976 in what later became termed the Norville Case.
Again, a fractured chiropractic profession provided support for the litigation, which resulted in a Mississippi Supreme Court decision to limit chiropractic scope of practice from use of nutritional advice and certain physiological therapeutic procedures. By 1989, Mississippi chiropractors would finally secure the right to utilize therapies and nutritional approaches that they had earlier helped pioneer.
Thus, it may be argued that the late progress in achieving licensure – 50 years after dozens of other states – and in securing a full practice scope, occurred despite both opposition from organized medical groups and friendly fire from within the profession.
Kleanthis A. Ligeros: The Pioneer of Modern Chiropractic in Greece
Stavros Ktenas, DC, PhD, FEAC, et al.
Kleanthis A. Ligeros was both a trained chiropractor and medical doctor, in addition to being a bilingual academic and historian. His endless efforts and research for the promotion of chiropractic both in the U.S. and Greece is noteworthy.
Born in Greece, he was an integrated bi-cultural patriotic Greek-American and a U.S. war veteran, who loved and was heavily influenced by ancient Greek scholars. His major contribution towards the Hellenic chiropractic profession can be encapsulated in his attempts to establish the first chiropractic school, achieve a legal status quo for the profession and stop the persecution of chiropractors in Greece. Therefore, he was the iconic cornerstone of the Hellenic chiropractic profession.
Kenneth Lewis, DC: Industrious, Resourceful CMCC Pioneer
Douglas Brown, DC
On May 29, 1949, the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College's (CMCC) first 74 graduates paraded across the platform at Eaton's Auditorium in downtown Toronto to accept their diplomas. By May 1951, the total number of graduates in the first three classes had swollen to 292, bringing the total of chiropractors in Canada to 832.
With a Canadian population of 12 million, there were plenty of potential patients to go around. Unfortunately, according to C. Lesley Biggs, PhD, "In Canada, in 1950, 130,000 persons, or 0.9 percent of the population, visited a chiropractor (Canada Sickness Survey, 1960). In comparison, in the same year, 43.2 percent of the population visited a physician (either in the offices or in a clinic)."
The problems facing chiropractors were complex, but not insurmountable. This paper examines the life of Ken Lewis from its origin in Lawson, Sask., to its termination in Midland, Ont., revealing the methods he employed to endure and prosper in an atmosphere dominated by the medical profession.
D.D. Palmer's 1910 Book: Identification and Rarity of Print Editions
Timothy Faulkner, DC, CCSP, et al.
The authors examine D.D. Palmer's 1910 book, The Science, Art & Philosophy of Chiropractic. They present details of its Portland printing and try to draw conclusions about possible distribution methods and the number of books originally printed by D.D. Palmer. The variations in the original printing, as well as later reprints, are discussed in detail, with an emphasis on how to tell the books apart.
Finally, the authors contacted chiropractic schools in North America to determine how many original 1910 books are in chiropractic schools archives or special collections, in an effort to determine how many original copies exist today.
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
