The history of the Chiropractic Profession, before insurance coverage came along, was a lot like the 1960's. In the early years, all doctors in our profession knew what an adjustment was and also knew that the power which was released by an adjustment was called Innate Intelligence. Chiropractors in those days saw miracles on a daily and weekly basis. They were happy and unafraid to tell the world about the Big Idea and the wonderful benefits that Chiropractic had for mankind. They never used the terms manipulation or treatment because they knew that these were medical terms describing the outside - in philosophy of a reductionist paradigm. Chiropractors gladly surrendered the ability to treat and cure a disease over to the patient's Innate Intelligence which did a beautiful job at restoring optimal health. Some doctors did used physical therapy modalities to prepare the patient for an adjustment or to relax them afterward, but they never claimed that the PT modalities were, of themselves, a cure for anything! Yes, my fellow healthcare providers, even the mixers in the early day believed in and practiced Chiropractic Philosophy. Oh yes, there were those who desperately wished to be RDs (Real Doctors), but on the whole, most folks in our profession relied on our Vitalistic philosophy that stated that the body was a self healing organism. MDs during our early years, thought that we were totally out of our minds and therefore, not to be trusted with their patients. This was fine with us because we knew we were correct in our philosophical approach to human health and we did not agree with medicine's view or their approach to healthcare. In spite of their intense dislike of our profession, many of their patients came to us to have their health restored. Most Chiropractors were very happy with their chosen profession and did not desire to become an MD, nor did they want to see drugs or other medical procedures become part of our grand profession.

Then, slowly but surely, a group of people in our profession who have always been referred to as medipractors (those who vigorously reject the Chiropractic Paradigm and openly support the medical paradigm), started to convince other doctors that what was missing from their lives was a little social self esteem and recognition from the medical and insurance industries. To receive this, they said, it was necessary for these doctors to start using medical terminology and reject Chiropractic Terminology so that the medics could understand what we were doing. Forget the fact that these were inaccurate descriptions of our procedures, it only mattered that the MDs understood. As the day of insurance acceptance came closer, more and more doctors sold out their birthright for a little social self esteem and recognition! It would be like reliving the 1960's, only in reverse! Traditional Chiropractors were told to remain silent about such things as the massive medication of our citizens through fluoridation of public waters and to never, never bring up the terrible reactions that young children and infants were having to vaccinations. All truths were buried and insanity prevailed. The establishment (medicine, the pharmaceutical industry and insurance companies) ruled with an iron fist and dictated to our profession as to what diagnosis we would be allowed to treat. Many in our profession saw this as real recognition by medicine and blamed us, the Subluxation Based Chiropractors, for any hardship they had to suffer because of our insistence on relying on Chiropractic Philosophy to affect a cure. Their voices became louder as they marched arm and arm with their new medical friends. Their colleges became populated with new medically oriented students who never saw or experienced a Chiropractic Miracle in their lives. Ridicule of Traditional Chiropractors was the rule of the day. We were the crazy ones. Oh yes, they want to be scientific only, just like their new found medical friends, not like us, the crazy Chiropractors, who believed as D.D. and B.J. taught us that healing, all healing, comes from above - down, inside - out and not from outside - in, below - up.

Little did they know what their new friends in medicine and the insurance companies had in store for them in the 21st century. Quietly, doctors of physical medicine and their subordinates, the physical therapists, started taking weekend courses to learn crude forms of manipulation. Even the osteopaths renewed their interest in their old form of spinal manipulative therapy. Meanwhile, having achieved a small amount of social self esteem, the medipractors were spending their money joining managed care organizations in order to be ready for their new found wealth and recognition as they joined together and laughed at those of us who still believe in D.D. Palmer's teachings. Then, some of these people began to wake up to reality. For a few, it was too late, and they couldn't hold on any longer, so they left our profession to make a living elsewhere. There are those in our profession who believe, that by being allowed to prescribe drugs, they could be just like real medical doctors.

For the rest of these medipractors, the reality of life hasn't hit yet. What is that reality, you ask? Simply this; they have become highly trained expensive spinal manipulative technicians who happen to carry the title of doctor! Unfortunately for them, in a few short years they will become obsolete and replaced by physical therapists or other healthcare technicians who can be trained to manipulate the human spine for a whole lot less money, and can do so under the direct supervision of a medical doctor. Guess what my friends, it make perfect capitalistic sense for the healthcare market place! Why wouldn't it go this way? These medipractors offer nothing new in their approach to human healthcare, only a duplication of services. Therefore they offer nothing tangible to sustain their existence.