The Future of Chiropractic: Unity and Growth in a Changing Medical Landscape

Chiropractic care stands at a crossroads. The profession faces challenges that require more than individual effort—they demand collective dedication and teamwork. The survival and growth of chiropractic depend on how practitioners address their shared problems and adapt to the evolving healthcare environment. This post explores key insights from a 1959 article by DeJarnette MB, which remains relevant today, emphasizing the need for unity, openness to new ideas, and collaboration with other medical fields.

Facing the Challenges Together

Chiropractors often encounter skepticism both from within and outside their profession. DeJarnette highlights that chiropractic will survive only when all chiropractors commit themselves to solving the profession’s problems as a team. This means moving beyond isolated efforts and embracing a collective approach to improving chiropractic care.

Working together can help:

• Share knowledge and best practices

• Develop consistent standards of care

• Promote research and evidence-based methods

• Strengthen the profession’s public image

  
  

By uniting, chiropractors can build a stronger foundation that supports growth and acceptance.

The Role of Sacro Occipital Technic

One example of innovation within chiropractic is the sacro occipital technic (SOT). This technique focuses on the relationship between the sacrum and occiput, offering unique diagnostic and treatment approaches. DeJarnette notes that many findings in SOT seem unorthodox to some practitioners today, but they are grounded in observable phenomena.

SOT’s value lies in its potential to expand chiropractic care by:

• Providing alternative methods for diagnosis and treatment

• Offering new perspectives on spinal and nervous system function

• Encouraging ongoing research and clinical observation

  
  

As time passes, techniques like SOT may gain wider acceptance as their benefits become clearer through practice and study.

Embracing Collaboration with Medicine

Chiropractic cannot thrive by dismissing medicine or claiming it is always wrong. DeJarnette points out the importance of recognizing the role of medical services, especially in emergencies and complex health situations. The reality is that communities rely on medical care for trauma and serious illness, and chiropractic should complement rather than oppose these services.

This means chiropractors should:

• Respect the contributions of medical professionals

• Seek opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration

• Educate patients about the strengths and limitations of chiropractic and medicine

• Focus on areas where chiropractic care offers unique benefits

  
  

By working alongside medicine, chiropractic can find room for growth and expansion.

Growth Through Expansion and Adaptation

The future of chiropractic depends on its ability to grow by expanding its scope and adapting to new challenges. This includes:

• Incorporating new techniques and technologies

• Engaging in research to validate and improve treatments

• Enhancing education and training for practitioners

• Building stronger relationships with other healthcare providers

  
  

Growth requires openness to change and a willingness to explore new directions while staying true to chiropractic’s core principles.

Practical Steps for Chiropractors Today

Chiropractors who want to contribute to the profession’s survival and growth can take several practical steps:

• Join professional organizations to connect with peers

• Participate in continuing education and training programs

• Support and conduct research on chiropractic methods

• Advocate for chiropractic in healthcare policy and public awareness

• Collaborate with medical professionals to provide comprehensive care

  
  

These actions help build a united, knowledgeable, and respected chiropractic community.

DeJarnette MB, Shall Chiropractic Survive? The Journal of the National Chiropractic Association Nov 1959; 29(11): 75.

Chiropractic will survive when all chiropractors dedicate themselves to the problems of chiropractic, and work together as a team to solve those problems. Sacro occipital technic is a part of the chiropractic total. Many of the findings in sacro occipital technic are too unorthodox to be accepted by men of this era, but as time passes, they will be accepted because they are based upon things we see. Chiropractic will not survive by saying that medicine is never right or that medicine efforts are useless. In this day when the mangled human is as common as sunrise and sunset, how would you like to live in and raise your family in a community where there was not medical service? There is room for growth only where there is room for expansion.