Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor

Editor’s Note: December 2010

By Maria DiDanieli   

Features Business Management

In his recent work titled Reasoning Otherwise, Canadian historian Ian
McKay engages in a “mission of reconnaissance,” which, for him, is a
technique for examining history that “notably differs from the scholarly
approach that strains for completeness, authoritativeness and . . .
certainty.”

In his recent work titled Reasoning Otherwise, Canadian historian Ian McKay engages in a “mission of reconnaissance,” which, for him, is a technique for examining history that “notably differs from the scholarly approach that strains for completeness, authoritativeness and . . . certainty.” He says, “The point of a reconnaissance is to provoke a network of focused investigations,” points out that events “come from different historical contexts” and cautions against the impression that “positions associated with past [movements] have been decisively transcended or that they are all of equal worth.” Furthermore, he notes, “a reconnaissance knows itself to be but one step in a cooperative struggle to understand a contested terrain . . . [and] to reclaim . . . history from the ‘enormous condescension of posterity.’”

 Understanding the profession of chiropractic, appreciating its gems and identifying appropriate areas to investigate further is virtually impossible, not to say meaningless, without taking a frank look at how it developed. It’s important to consider the context surrounding, and leading up to, its inception and then explore, without judgment or denial, why it took the routes it did. For the profession, a McKay “reconnaissance” means keeping in mind the circumstances – scientific, cultural and political – in which DCs endeavoured to develop a system of healing, and respecting the perspective from which they conducted their practices, teaching and investigative activities. Most of all, it means conceding that there may be value for us today in their work, despite their limitations or any apparent divergence, intentional or not, from the standard methodology of their times – or ours.

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 Especially interesting, in the profession’s history, is chiropractic’s journey into the rigours of systematic investigation inherent in peer-reviewed research. In this, our 2010 research issue, we venture a look at the evolution of chiropractic research. We do this in the spirit of McKay’s method; i.e., within a greater context and resisting the tendency to either snub or glorify past efforts, and their results.

 Only after taking an open-minded look back does this issue examine where the profession’s research efforts are now, and where they might be going. My thanks to Steve Zoltai for providing us with a panoramic, context-driven examination of this area of the profession. It is important not only because it brings current chiropractic knowledge and methods into focus for its students and practitioners but also because it serves to pluck the profession from the realms of “fringe” or “outsider” and move it squarely into the shared progression of the human quest for answers regarding healing and wellness.   

So we conclude another year of serving the chiropractic profession as an independent, national publication. On behalf of the staff at Canadian Chiropractor, I thank our regular writers and the guest writers I have had the privilege of working with, this past year. I also acknowledge our editorial advisory board and our supporters, all of whom continue to be indispensable to our publication. Of foremost importance, I thank our readers for allowing us to be a part of this community. We congratulate you for your contributions to health care at such an important era in its collective history.

 We wish you a blessed holiday season and good health, happiness and success in the coming year.


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