Is Chiropractic Care An Alternative To Medicine?

In the early days of my relationship with my wife, people were surprised how we could coexist; after all, here I was, a chiropractor who married a medical doctor. People thought that the two professions had an irreconcilable conflict. There were, however, individual doctors who saw the value of chiropractic and even used the services of chiropractors.

When we traveled through airports in the late 80s and early 90s, it wasn't uncommon for customs officials to look at our passports and exclaim, "Chiropractor, doctor, what are you two doing together?"

The fact is that medicine and chiropractic are two distinct professions and chiropractic is not an alternative, because alternative implies replacement. It's become apparent that the two professions can coexist, a historical evolution that enlightens us about the changing landscape of healthcare.

People are surprised to hear that B.J. Palmer, the developer of chiropractic in the 30s and 40s, used scientific tools in the Palmer clinic and had medical doctors working there to confirm changes before and after spinal adjustments.

B.J. Palmer and his staff on the left. One of the ambulances on the right

This 1946 photo shows B.J. and his staff, including medical doctors. The clinic even provided ambulance services for nonambulatory patients.

While the Palmer Clinic had medical doctors and chiropractors, they were separate entities. Therein lies the fact that each profession has its own role. Even within the chiropractic profession, there are two distinct practice philosophies.