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Authors
Robb Russell, William F. Updyke, Bart N. Green
Abstract
Chiropractic is a form of health care that originated in the United States of America (US) during the 1800s and is now practiced around the world. Chiropractic healthcare focuses on the diagnosis,treatment, and prevention of disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Chiropractors in the US complete a comprehensive 4-year educational program, after completing undergraduate training, culminating in a clinical doctoral degree of doctor of chiropractic (DC). Outside of the US, the degree may be indicated by other acronyms, depending on the country wherein the degree is obtained, but the most common designation is DC. From the perspective that chiropractic originated in the US, it could be considered traditional medicine, but perhaps only loosely. While this may be perplexing, a brief explanation is all that is necessary to provide clarity. First, doctors of chiropractic do not prescribe medicine and do not perform surgery. Thus, they do not practice medicine. Second, in the US, the dominant form of medicine, Western Medicine (also referred to as orthodox medicine), has been considered “traditional medicine”. Chiropractic is a profession practiced around the world. However, this chapter will focus on the origins and development of chiropractic, and its future prospects, in its mother country.
Keywords
chiropractic, manipulation, musculoskeletal system
Introduction
Chiropractic is a type of natural therapy widely popular in the United States. It is a medical and
health profession concerned with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases of the neuromusculoskeletal system and their effect on overall health. This chapter discusses the past, present and prospect development of Chiropractic. The first part of this chapter discusses the history of chiropractic, mainly from the aspects of antecedents, origins, clinical elements, training, licensure,scope and practice, research, journals, and scientific conferences. The second part of this chapter is about the current situation of chiropractic profession. It provides a broad overview of the profession’s current status relative to training programs, general parameters regarding its practice, economic considerations, practice models, public perception, and emerging trends. The third part of this chapter discusses the potential futures for the Chiropractic profession, which includes healthcare, the Internet of Things (IOT), the training institutions, market, integration, Competition and Research.