From Alternative to Complementary: A History of Chiropractic in Twentieth Century New Zealand

Abstract

Over the course of the twentieth century chiropractic grew from the improvised practice of a singular practitioner to become the third largest health profession in New Zealand behind medical doctors and dentists. How did chiropractic come to occupy its present position as one of the leading lights of ‘complementary medicine’? Was the rise of chiropractic indicative of increasing tolerance towards alternative approaches to health care in Western societies during the latter half of the twentieth century? This thesis seeks to answer such questions by tracing the history of chiropractic from its 1910 arrival, through its quest for state registration, and finally the aftermath of the 1979 report of the Commission of Inquiry into Chiropractic (CIC), perceived as a significant victory for chiropractors and serious blow to organised medicine. Drawing on a wide range of primary source material, published and unpublished, it is contended that the increasing acceptance of chiropractic in New Zealand came at the expense of its claim to be an alternative system of health care. In the quests of chiropractors and their patients for registration and social security benefits, chiropractic had to put aside its original positioning as ‘the science by which the cause of disease is removed by spinal adjustments’ to become a limited musculo–skeletal specialty; the ‘back doctors’ they are largely perceived as today. Numerous perspectives towards chiropractic are canvassed in this history, from medical doctors and parliamentarians through to consumer organisations and the patients of chiropractors themselves. Questions addressed include the ways in which, and reasons why, chiropractors adapted and changed in the face of challenge from orthodox medicine, the demands of patients, and the mediating role of the state. It is argued that the rise of chiropractic in New Zealand is a story of chiropractors reinventing themselves over time to facilitate their transition from alternative to complementary practitioners.