Will the "Kinder, Gentler" AMA Treat Chiropractic Differently?
John Hanks, DC
| DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE
The American Medical Association (AMA) has never been a friend of chiropractic. Despite positive references to the value of spinal manipulation in the treatment of lower back pain, the AMA has been a nattering nemesis to our profession.1 But strange changes are happening within "organized medicine."
The past few AMA conventions did not focus on professional authority and protecting doctors' sources of income. Nor did they dwell on traditional public health issues like pollution or food safety. Instead, they promoted initiatives such as "the removal of gender on birth certificates"2 and free access to tampons in restrooms.3
A Kindler, Gentler AMA? Not Always
The current AMA is younger, more focused on social correctness, and probably bored with issues such as smoking cessation or obesity. Does this mean the AMA is also bored with diminishing the chiropractic profession? Is this a "kinder and gentler" AMA? Well, that is the core of this article. First, let's look at the history of the AMA and its war against natural healing traditions, specifically chiropractic. Then we'll examine the membership composition of the AMA and the organization's sources of funding. Finally, I have a couple of futuristic scenarios that might start some chatter in the chiropractic world.
In my library, I have a rare copy of In The Public Interest, a collection of photocopies of correspondence from the AMA's Committee on Quackery from around 1972.4 The AMA was out to "contain and eliminate" chiropractic and, as a chiropractic student then, I was shocked and infuriated. Looking at the actual documents in the book was like peering into a proverbial "smoking gun," hoping it was out of bullets.
The AMA used its influence to persuade other medical and health care organizations to also come out with official policy statements condemning chiropractic as a philosophically fringe practice; and chiropractors as being uneducated, evil ninjas who could break your neck without compunction.
The photocopies of letters, memos, etc., were smuggled out of the AMA headquarters in Chicago by a whistleblower calling himself "Sore Throat." And this is where the story gets weird; so weird, in fact, that an entire book was written about it, appropriately titled, "Contain and Eliminate: The American Medical Association's Conspiracy to Destroy Chiropractic." It was written by former Chicago Sun-Times medical writer Howard Wolinsky and championed by our own Louis Sportelli, DC. In my opinion, it should be required reading for every chiropractic student.
The smuggled photocopies were crucial evidence in the "Wilk v AMA" trial, which the AMA lost, proving that indeed, organized medicine was trying to put the chiropractic profession out of business because it feared economic competition. Mr. Wolinsky recently wrote of his experience reporting on the many years of the Wilk trial in Chiropractic History, the journal of the Association for the History of Chiropractic.5
"Sore Throat" claimed to be a disgruntled MD, fired from the AMA staff; but it turned out the documents were stolen by members of the Church of Scientology, which had the AMA on its enemies list. They had infiltrated the AMA's headquarters, becoming employees in the secretarial departments.
Scientologists were paranoid about the AMA preparing a media "hit" campaign on their church, since Scientology was always questioning the value of psychiatry and medical authority. Instead, the spies discovered the real campaign was against chiropractic and other alternative healers.6
Bigger Fish to Fry Now?
The war against chiropractic and others has been to eliminate competition, more to protect the AMA's reputation as the "authority" on health matters, as much as it has been to protect revenue for its members. But today's AMA has bigger fish to fry.
The relationship between the AMA and pharmaceutical companies is more important than ever. Big Pharma spends enormous amounts of money influencing doctors and health care through the AMA. The AMA budget depends greatly on this money.
In this time of COVID-19 and the riches coming in from vaccinations, is it any wonder the recent AMA House of Delegates passed a resolution addressing concern about health professionals spreading "disinformation" about the shots?7 The AMA cannot tolerate a scientific debate that might upset Big Pharma and cost the association Big Money.
In fact, the AMA has published a "COVID-19 Guide" to "ensure widespread vaccine acceptance among all demographic groups." After reading it, I must admit that no matter what one thinks about the safety of these mRNA vaccines, the guide is one of the most masterful propaganda pieces I have ever encountered.
The section labeled "COVID-19 Language Swaps" instructs doctors how to "swap" out certain words and terms for other, more narrative-affirming choices. For instance, don't say "lockdown"; instead, say "stay-at-home order." Don't say "hospitalization rates"; say "deaths" (which obviously don't equate).8
Who is the Modern AMA – and What's Its Influence Over Chiropractic?
The AMA promotes its authority over health care policy with gusto, but most practicing doctors have no interest in it. There are various estimates of membership, but it appears to be around 12 percent (or lower) of practicing physicians, once one subtracts students, academic doctors, fellows in training, retirees and so-called "sponsored memberships."
Why is the membership so low? That's one of the questions I'll discuss next issue in part 2 of this diatribe. The most important question, of course, still remains: "What does all this have to do with the future of chiropractic?" Stay tuned.
References
Petersen D. "Why JAMA Recommended Chiropractic." Dynamic Chiropractic, October 2021.
Frellick M. "Remove Sex From Public Birth Certificates, AMA Says." WebMD Health News, June 16, 2021.
Sommer M, Mason D. "Period Poverty and Promoting Menstrual Equity." JAMANetwork.com, Aug. 19, 2021.
Trever W. In the Public Interest. Scriptures Unlimited, 1972.
Wolinsky H. "Eyewitness to Chiropractic History: News Reporter Shares His 'Story Behind the Story' of the New Book, Contain and Eliminate: The American Medical Association's Conspiracy to Destroy Chiropractic." Chiropractic History, 2021;41(2):22-28.
Wolinsky H. "Sore Throat; the Church of Scientology and the 1970s plot against the American Medical Association." Chicago Sun-Times, Nov. 27, 2020.
Firth S. "Role of Social Media in Amplifying Disinformation Docs Also Needs to Be Examined." Medpage Today, Nov. 16, 2021.
AMA COVID-19 Guide. AMA Publications, Winter 2021.
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