On Jan. 24 1978, the New Zealand governor-general referred to a Commission of Inquiry an investigation to determine the desirability of providing for reimbursement of chiropractic benefits under the New Zealand Social Security Act and the New Zealand Accident Compensation Act. The commission was directed to consider:
The Commission of Inquiry was extremely thorough, visiting New Zealand chiropractic and physical therapy offices, Canadian and U.S. chiropractic colleges (Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, National University of Health Sciences, Palmer College of Chiropractic and Southern California University of Health Sciences), medical associations and government agencies in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.
After 93 days of hearings, on Oct. 5, 1979 the commission released Chiropractic in New Zealand: Report of the Commission of Inquiry to the New Zealand House of Representatives.
Two attorneys represented the New Zealand Chiropractic Association before the New Zealand Commission of Inquiry. One of those attorneys was Mr. David Chapman-Smith, best known as the founding secretary general of the World Federation of Chiropractic from 1989-2014.
In a rare presentation at the Centenary Conference of the New Zealand Chiropractors’ Association in Wellington, New Zealand, on Saturday, June 10, 2023. Mr. Chapman-Smith recounted the drama and strategy executed by the New Zealand DCs and their patients, which culminated in the critical findings of the New Zealand Commission of Inquiry that impacted the future of chiropractic worldwide for decades to come.
This presentation is a must-view for every doctor and student to understand this milestone in chiropractic’s path to acceptance. It is available at: chiropracticreport.com/david/nz_david_chapman-smith.mp4.
Editor’s Note: Mr. Chapman-Smith’s discussion of the professional and global impact of the commission’s findings can be found at approximately the 58-minute mark of the video.
When I graduated from chiropractic college in 1981 and started practice, I heard it all, and very little was positive. “You are a quack; you do not know what a subluxation is; you couldn’t get into a real health care program, so you chose the one that is slightly above a mail-order degree; you have no proof that chiropractic works; Are you really licensed?”, and so much more.
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A central challenge in creating our identity is that chiropractic is a method of care, not a technique or procedure. This is an important concept for us to promote. Our patients are treated with lifestyle modification, exercise, nutritional supplements, diet and a whole-body approach to accelerate the natural healing process. We are not simply CMT providers.
The results of a global survey released late last year (2023) unveiled some startling findings among medical and nursing students. The “Clinician of the Future: 2023 Education Edition” surveyed 2,212 students, of which 446 were in the United States, from 91 countries.
