EditorialChiropractic and Public Health: Current State and Future Vision☆
Section snippets
Methods
Members of the chiropractic profession who have been active in areas of public health were invited to contribute concise summaries of topics of interest as they relate to chiropractic in public health (Fig 1).
Results
The following sections provide summaries of key areas that chiropractic has or may have the potential to contribute to public health.
Discussion
Chiropractic began in the United States as a conservative method of health care in 1895.3 With chiropractic being a profession that is more than 110 years old, one may ask why it appears that there have not been more concentrated efforts to be more overtly involved in public health. There are several possible explanations including sociological and political barriers.
One barrier may have been an earlier APHA policy that explicitly excluded chiropractors from participating in public health
Conclusion
Chiropractic has done much in a short amount of time. The chiropractic profession no longer has major external barriers that prevent participation in public health activities. Multiple opportunities are available for chiropractic colleges, chiropractic governing bodies, and practitioners to contribute. The question remains: will we enthusiastically embrace participation in public health practices and research or will we passively watch as this opportunity slips away into oblivion?
In its 2005
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The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, or the United States Government.