History of Chiropractic
Over 130 years of history, from its origins in the United States to its university development in Chile.
130 years of Chiropractic
Chiropractic was born in the United States in 1895, when Daniel David Palmer performed the first chiropractic adjustment in Davenport, Iowa, giving rise to a profession focused on the care of the nervous system and the spine. In 1897 the Palmer School of Chiropractic was founded, the first academic institution to train chiropractors.
Today chiropractic is recognised by the WHO as a health profession and, in many countries, is regulated by law and awards the title of Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.).
Arrival in Chile
Chiropractic began to appear in Chile in the 1980s with the arrival of professionals trained in the United States. One of the pioneers was Dr. Víctor Aguilera (DC), remembered by thousands of patients of his practice at Torres San Borja, in Santiago.
A few years later Dr. Jorge Melo (DC) arrived and worked alongside haematologist Dr. Manuel Gacitúa, a pioneer of acupuncture in Chile. In 1993 he obtained authorisation from the Santiago Court of Appeals to practise chiropractic in Chile, a ruling upheld by the Supreme Court.
Academic training begins
French-American chiropractor Ettienne Dubarry, with the support of Argentine Raúl Cadagan, contacted Chilean physiotherapist Raúl Guiñez to start a formal teaching process through the Southern California University of Health Sciences. In 2000 the first Chiropractic Association of Chile was created, which later became the Corporación Chilena para el Estudio y Desarrollo de la Quiropraxia.
The first Chilean chiropractors
In 2002 difficulties arose: the US system required a Bachelor's degree for admission. The Chilean board, together with the faculty led by Dr. Reed Phillips, asked the WFC for support. The solution came from the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic (United Kingdom), and in September 2004 the first Chilean and Argentine chiropractors graduated after more than seven years of training.
Universidad Central and the founding of the Association
In 2010 Universidad Central de Chile, with David López S. as programme director, became the first and only Chilean institution to offer a formal university chiropractic programme, later adding the Bachelor's degree in Chiropractic to meet WFC standards.
On 22 August 2014 the first 50 chiropractors graduated from that university and, on the same day, the Colegio de Quiroprácticos Universitarios de Chile A.G. was founded, published in the Official Gazette on 8 September 2014.
A growing profession
As of 2025, Universidad Central has graduated eight cohorts, with three more in training. The programme is a special 4-year undergraduate degree taken after a first health-related degree, with a degree exam and thesis.
The profession remains active, with courses and international certifications, and specialised groups such as the Chilean Society of Neurological Chiropractic (SOCHIQUINE) and the Chilean Society of Sports Chiropractic (SOCHIQUIDE).
