You Don’t Have to Choose Between Technique and Philosophy

The History Behind the Divide and Why the Next Generation Must Integrate, Not Imitate

If you walk the halls of any chiropractic college today, you're bound to hear it:

“Are you more of a technique doc or a philosophy doc?”

“Do you adjust only, or are you into soft tissue and rehab?” “Are you a naturalist or are you evidence-based?”

These questions aren’t just casual. They reflect a long-standing identity struggle within the chiropractic profession. It's a false either-or mindset that continues to split students, clinicians, and even institutions. But the next generation has an opportunity (and even a responsibility) to move beyond these categories and build something more cohesive.

How the Divide Began

The earliest split in chiropractic came from two of its most influential figures: D.D. Palmer, the founder, and his son, B.J. Palmer.

D.D. Palmer saw chiropractic as a method of correcting spinal misalignments, what he called subluxations, to restore nerve flow and improve health. His approach focused on spinal biomechanics and neurological interference.

B.J. Palmer, often referred to as The Developer, took his father's vision further. He introduced the concept of Innate Intelligence, a vitalistic idea that the body contains an internal wisdom that directs healing when interference is removed. For B.J., the adjustment wasn’t just a mechanical correction; it was the central act that unlocked this healing potential.

Not everyone in the profession agreed. As chiropractors sought licensure, inclusion in broader healthcare systems, and insurance recognition, others began to push for more scientific validation. Evidence-based practitioners emphasized measurable outcomes, diagnostic rigor, and reproducible protocols.

From that point on, the divide became more entrenched. Straight chiropractors focused almost exclusively on spinal adjustments, holding tightly to vitalistic principles as the cornerstone of care. In contrast, mixing chiropractors expanded their clinical toolbox, integrating physiotherapy, soft tissue techniques, diagnostic imaging, rehabilitative exercise, and nutritional strategies into their practice.

This division influenced everything...from how state boards wrote scope of practice laws to how chiropractic schools shaped their curricula. Even today, students inherit the remnants of this divide in subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways.

What Students Still Feel

Even if no one says it outright, many students pick up on the subtext:

• If you value research, you're less committed to the roots of the profession.

• If you focus on technique, you’re not keeping up with modern, integrative care.

• If you question subluxation theory, you’re betraying chiropractic itself.

This kind of messaging doesn’t build better doctors. It limits growth, creates unnecessary tribalism, and ultimately does a disservice to the patients we’re training to serve.

You Don’t Have to Pick a Side

It’s time to move beyond the false choice. You’re allowed to:

• Believe in the body’s ability to heal and still use outcomes to guide care.

• Hone your adjusting technique and use rehab and exercise science to support it.

• Appreciate the roots of chiropractic philosophy and thrive in integrated, multi-disciplinary settings.

• Use your hands but also your head, your heart, your communication skills, your research literacy, and your cultural awareness.

Being a chiropractor doesn't mean fitting into one box. It means becoming whole.

Why Integration Matters

Patients don’t come into your office asking whether you’re “principled” or “evidence-based.”They come in because they’re in pain. They’re frustrated. They’ve been dismissed or overlooked elsewhere.They want someone who listens, someone who knows what they’re doing, and someone who can help them get results.

When you can explain your care clearly, adapt to the patient’s needs, and offer a mix of tools backed by both tradition and evidence...you earn trust. You build outcomes. And you create longevity in practice.

Integration isn’t selling out. It’s leveling up.

What You Can Do as a Student

• Learn across perspectives. Go to that motion palpation seminar. Sit in on a philosophy roundtable. Read the research. Broaden your lens.

  
  

• Question what you absorb. Every school, club, and mentor has its own culture. Respect that, but don’t lose your voice in the process.

  
  

• Give yourself room to grow. You don’t need to lock in your identity now. But you do need to stay curious and intentional.

We Don’t Need More Sides. We Need Bridges.

This profession doesn’t need more division. It needs future doctors who understand the full picture, those who know the history but aren’t bound by it.

The future won’t be built by one camp. It will be shaped by chiropractors who can think critically, communicate clearly, adapt intentionally, and lead with both purpose and integrity.

And it starts with letting go of the need to choose.

-JG

Sources

• Palmer, B.J. (1910). The Chiropractor's Adjuster: Text-book of the Science, Art and Philosophy of Chiropractic.

• Keating, J.C. (2005). A History of Chiropractic Education in North America: Report to the Council on Chiropractic Education.