Most American’s are unaware that over the past century, a battle over the healthcare of the population has been waged on many fronts. Less expensive yet significantly more effective holistic health modalities, including chiropractic care and nutrition, have been sidelined, scrutinized, and even vilified under the guise of progress. Starting with the Flexner Report of 1910 and extending to the modern-day advocacy of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., let’s look at the path our healthcare system has taken.
The Flexner Report: A Watershed Moment in Medical History
The Flexner Report, published in 1910, was commissioned by the Carnegie Foundation to reform medical education in the United States. Its recommendations were specific: standardize medical training, close schools deemed subpar and emphasize a biomedical model of health. While these reforms arguably improved medical standards, they also cemented an allopathic, pharmaceutical-centric approach as the “gold standard of care.” Interestingly, these reforms were funded by and benefited some of the richest people in the world. Their funding created new markets for their already monopolized pharmaceuticals and other medical products.
This shift came at a steep cost. Chiropractic colleges, along with institutions teaching homeopathy, naturopathy, and other holistic modalities, were marginalized, slandered, ridiculed, and prosecuted. The report’s underlying assumption—that medicine should be grounded solely in Western science—dismissed the centuries-old traditions of holistic principles and therapies that offered a broader, more time-tested understanding of health and wellness.
The Flexner Report instigated a battleground that has only grown fiercer to this day. This is not merely a battle for chiropractors or holistic health practitioners. It is a fight for each and every citizen who wants to pursue health based on their beliefs and needs. It is a fight for the freedom to choose paths that honor the body’s innate ability to heal itself and function at a very high level, as long as it is not interfered with. And, most importantly, it is a fight for a healthcare system that serves humanity, not just the bottom line.
John D. Rockefeller and Pharmaceuticals
One of the most striking ironies in the history of healthcare is the story of John D. Rockefeller and the Flexner Report. Originally commissioned by the Carnegie Foundation, John Dr. Rockefeller through the Rockefeller Foundation was also a significant funder of the Flexner Report. This funding made it possible for Abraham Flexner to focus his review of medical care on medical schools in the United States and Canada. Additionally, Flexner joined the Rockefeller-funded General Education Board in 1912 which raised an additional $500 million to support allopathic medical schools. That amount equates to over $16,271,000.00 today.
That support, though substantial, pales in light of the money Rockefeller knew he stood to make. Most people today don’t realize that almost 99% of pharmaceuticals contain petrochemicals. Rockefeller’s initial motivation was his desire to use “coal tar, a petroleum derivative, to make substances that affect the human mind, body, and nervous system.”
To that end, he purchased part of I.G. Farben, a large German pharmaceutical company. The coal tar drugs that were created out of that union set the standard of not curing the underlying cause of disease but merely masking or stopping the symptoms. Once he was able to create the drugs, that was when he hired Flexner and funded the Flexner Report.
An interesting aside, I.G. Farben went on to later manufacture chemicals and poisons that Hitler used in war. These same chemicals, regardless of whether used in pharmaceuticals or plastics or anything else, have been linked for decades as the possible cause of a variety of cancers.
Rockefeller and Chiropractic Care
Yet, while all of this was going on, it was John D. Rockefeller who turned to chiropractic care during the last seven years of his life. He credited chiropractic care with improving his health and extending his longevity. Ironically, he invested millions to marginalize and even demonize the very type of care he personally relied upon.
The story of John D. Rockefeller’s reliance upon chiropractic care is well documented in What Chiropractic is Doing by H.B. Shields, D.C. It highlights the glaring disconnect between the public narrative promoted by powerful figures and their private healthcare choices. While millions were denied access to holistic treatments due to the Flexner Report’s influence, Rockefeller quietly benefitted from the care he helped to stigmatize. (While the book is long out of print, click here to gain access to a digital copy.)
Did you know that when Rockefeller was born in 1839, life expectancy was 44.6 years? In 1937, the year he died, life expectancy was 58 years. However, John D. Rockefeller died at the age of 97. And if you read the book, he credited his chiropractor with much of his longevity and healthspan.
The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
Unfortunately, the Flexner Report does not stand alone. It merely created a strong foundation for other laws and initiatives that came after and sought to consolidate control over healthcare. The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, FDCA (1938) is landmark piece of legislation designed to enhance the safety and efficacy of products consumed by the public. It replaced the Pure Food and Drug Act (1906), which focused on mislabeling but failed to address safety. It was the FDCA that established the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the main agency responsible for setting the standards for drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics.
This act reinforced a healthcare model dominated by pharmaceuticals and allopathic medicine. By doing so, it indirectly but significantly further marginalized chiropractic care and all other holistic healing arts which they labeled as alternatives. It was by narrowly defining the safety and efficacy of the healthcare system within the biomedical model and favoring pharmaceutical treatments above all others that a visible framework was created. How was that actually done? By lumping together, outside of the framework, any holistic health practitioners whose methods did not fit the FDA’s criteria for scientific validation. What was that criteria based on? Drug trials.
A Different Focus
Chiropractic care, like many other holistic treatments, focuses on the body’s innate ability to heal. The body, supported by spinal adjustments and nervous system optimization, often requires no drugs or surgery to heal. Without relying on pharmaceuticals, chiropractic care fell outside of the FDCA’s scope, leaving it labeled as “unscientific,” despite its growing grass roots movement driven by a stellar track record of patient success and safety.
Additionally, the FDCA’s framework required evidence of safety and efficacy through rigorous scientific studies. While well-funded pharmaceutical companies, well-funded by Rockefeller and Carnegie billions, could afford such costly research, at the time, chiropractors and other holistic health providers lacked the financial resources to meet these demands, compete and defend themselves. Then and now, government research funding prioritizes drug development and biomedical interventions. In fact, a study published in JAMA in June of 2024, estimates that the average cost to bring a new drug to market costs an average of $879.3 million.
Living the Result
While all this was going on, chiropractic colleges and holistic therapy schools were struggling to meet the rising standards of medical education established by the Flexner Report. With little to no financial support, the divide between allopathic and holistic health systems widened.
The FDCA, knowingly or not, reinforced a model of care focused on treating symptoms with pharmaceutical interventions rather than addressing root causes. This approach was (and still is) at odds with holistic, chiropractic principles which emphasize prevention and treat the causes of illness, not individual symptoms of illness.
Literally from birth to death, the public has been unnecessarily becoming increasingly addicted to and reliant on pharmaceuticals for symptom relief. Additionally, under the FDCA chiropractors who recommended herbal supplements or complimentary remedies to their patients faced legal risks if their recommendations did not align with the regulations. As a result, chiropractic care and other holistic therapies were increasingly viewed with suspicion, especially as the AMA and pharmaceutical interests lobbied to maintain a monopoly on healthcare and squash the competition. Today, we are living the result of the pharmaceutical industry thriving under FDCA regulations.
Chiropractic Resilience
The end result of the FDCA is a fragmented healthcare system that excluded chiropractic and other holistic practitioners from the mainstream healthcare discussions, limiting opportunities for patients to seek and benefit from holistic, integrative solutions. Those patients who did seek out those holistic, integrative solutions often faced limited access and higher costs as insurance coverage and healthcare policies aligned with FDA-approved interventions.
Despite all these challenges, chiropractic care survived and even thrived in some areas where public demand outweighed systemic suppression. The public continued to choose chiropractic care because of its safety, the trust they had in the providers, and the high percentage of success that was being achieved. Chiropractic’s non-allopathic approach in alleviating pain, improving function, increasing mobility and overall wellness could not be denied or ignored.
Additionally, chiropractic schools continued to graduate trained professionals who spread all over the world to create patient-centered practices. Those practices gained loyalty for the profession through personal results rather than institutional support. The success of chiropractic care in alleviating chronic pain, improving mobility, and enhancing overall wellness are what kept it relevant, even as regulatory hurdles persisted.
Harm Goes Haywire – The Kefauver-Harris Amendment of 1962
The Kefauver-Harris Amendment of 1962 was the result of the global tragedy of birth defects caused by the drug thalidomide. Consumer protections were the concern when this amendment was created to require drug manufacturers to prove both the safety and efficacy of their products before receiving FDA approval. While clearly necessary to limit the harm created by the pharmaceutical industry, this new emphasis on rigorous scientific validation as the gold standard for medical treatments closed the door on what opportunities existed for chiropractic care and holistic healthcare modalities to gain mainstream acceptance. The final outcome was centralized protocols, profit, and control taking precedence over individual patient care and results.
During this time, unfortunately, osteopaths lost sight of their roots and were absorbed by medical schools and pharma. Likewise, naturopaths, were unable to organize and, therefore, lacked resistance and resilience. Chiropractors, on the other hand, were able to mobilize in a collective way to battle political forces and remain a separate and distinct profession. Much of that collective mobilization can be attributed to the strong leadership of people like B.J. Palmer, Sid Williams, and others.
Through billions of dollars of propaganda created to sway public perception, a new level of stigma was created. Public perception increasingly equated FDA approval with medical legitimacy. While the Kefauver-Harris Amendment was intended to improve consumer safety, its unintended consequence was the sidelining of non-drug therapies like chiropractic care. By making healthcare all about pharmaceutical solutions, the amendment contributed to a healthcare model that undervalued the benefits of holistic, preventative care—an imbalance that continues to be challenged today as patients increasingly seek more holistic solutions to prevention and health in record numbers.
Chiropractic Resistance
During this time, the chiropractic community continued to resist the status quo. Although it lacked the financial resources of Big Pharma, and still does, efforts began to conduct research which validated the efficacy of chiropractic care. It was chiropractic colleges and organizations that invested in small-scale studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of spinal adjustments in alleviating pain, improving mobility, and enhancing overall wellness and performance. These real- world results combined with patient testimonials, while not meeting the existing clinical trial standards, did build credibility with the public.
As a result, groups like the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) along with the emergency of state and regional associations supported local growth, grew in influence, and worked to protect the profession’s scope of practice and promote public awareness. By 1974, chiropractors had won legal recognition in all 50 states. This long fought battle ensured the ability to practice despite the pharmaceutical industry’s ever growing dominance and continued slander.
Wilk v. AMA (1976)
It was Wilk versus the American Medical Association, the landmark antitrust lawsuit that exposed efforts of the American Medical Association (AMA) to undermine chiropractic care through a systematic campaign to label chiropractors as “quacks.” The eventual ruling in favor of chiropractors validated our profession and marked a turning point in our fight. Be sure to read all the details of this case in our article, “The Chiropractic Journey to Essential.”.
Following Wilk, chiropractors leaned into public education to reach more patients and dispel misconceptions about their care. Initial studies began to validate the effectiveness of chiropractic care when dealing with pain and in high-performance and rehabilitative settings. Athletes, including Olympians and professional sports teams began to increasingly turn to chiropractic care for injury prevention, performance improvement, and recovery.
Subsequent studies cemented chiropractic care as a leading non-invasive, drug free solution for pain and preventive care. Today, by staying focused on their message of holistic care through every phase of life, chiropractors are aligned with and in many ways responsible for the growing preference for non-pharmaceutical solutions for families and athletes alike.
The Promise of a New Era
With Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as head of Health and Human Services, chiropractors and other providers of holistic healthcare are excited about what is to come. His professional experience, broad base of knowledge, and deep appreciation for the struggles of the American family make him uniquely qualified to reshape healthcare policy. His values—transparency, accountability, and freedom of choice—align with the principles that holistic healthcare advocates, including chiropractors, have long championed. We will finally, during our lifetime, have someone in a position of power who values and gives more than lip service to the Hippocratic Oath, first do no harm.
Kennedy has spoken openly about the need to break the stranglehold of pharmaceutical companies on public health. A stranglehold that you now know has been developing for decades. For Americans, this will clearly mean greater health freedom to choose and a greater variety of effective health interventions to choose from. For chiropractors, with Kennedy long being an advocate for chiropractic care, this will mean greater recognition of the body’s innate ability to heal with less emphasis on the pharmaceutical industry. It will hopefully lead to an increase in research funding and insurance coverage for chiropractic care.
Additionally, Kennedy’s focus on environmental health directly supports the principles of holistic care. By addressing the root causes of disease—whether they lie in toxins, stress, or structural imbalances holistic healthcare providers can play a leadership role in a more integrative health paradigm.
If you only know about Kennedy from the mainstream media, dare I say, you don’t know about Kennedy. He has a long history of activism and legal advocacy focused on environmental protection, public health, and corporate accountability. Just some of his achievements include:
Hudson River Cleanup
As the chief prosecuting attorney for Riverkeeper.org, Kennedy held polluters accountable for decades of contamination in the Hudson River. His legal efforts forced industries to stop dumping pollutants.
Mercury Pollution
Kennedy fought against power plants and industries emitting mercury, a neurotoxin linked by studies to developmental disorders. His work raised public awareness and pushed for stricter regulations on mercury emissions, especially to protect children and pregnant women.
Factory Farms
Kennedy took legal action against large-scale factory farms for polluting waterways with untreated animal waste. His advocacy highlighted the connection between industrial agriculture, public health risks, and environmental degradation.
Vaccination Safety Advocacy
Kennedy has been a loud and informed voice for vaccine safety and transparency. He has long advocated for stricter regulatory oversight and greater accountability from pharmaceutical companies. His focus has been on ensuring informed consent and highlighting potential conflicts of interest in regulatory agencies.
Opioid Crisis Accountability
Kennedy has publicly criticized pharmaceutical companies for their role in fueling the opioid epidemic, calling for accountability for deceptive marketing practices and over-prescription of addictive drugs.
Monsanto and Glyphosate
As part of legal teams representing plaintiffs harmed by glyphosate-based products like Roundup, Kennedy helped secure multi-billion-dollar settlements. These cases revealed Monsanto’s suppression of research linking glyphosate to cancer and exposed unethical corporate practices.
DuPont and Teflon Chemicals
Kennedy advocated for justice in cases involving PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), a chemical linked to severe health issues and environmental contamination. His efforts helped bring attention to corporate malfeasance and the long-term health effects of “forever chemicals.”
Clean Water Act Cases
Throughout his career, Kennedy has litigated under the Clean Water Act to protect waterways from industrial and agricultural pollution. These cases have not only improved environmental conditions but also safeguarded drinking water for millions.
It is important to note that Kennedy is a prolific author, having written and co-written many books on a variety of topics just mentioned, as well as others. A historian with a scholarly ability to read, understand, and interpret scientific information, his books are well written, lengthy, and praised for being thoroughly researched and well documented, but only by those who actually read them. However, that doesn’t stop others who haven’t read them from sharing their opinions.
Core Values Driving His Actions
Kennedy values transparency and accountability. He emphasizes exposing corruption and holding powerful industries accountable for harm to public health and the environment.
He is dedicated to environmental justice, having consistently advocated for protecting vulnerable communities disproportionately affected by pollution and corporate neglect.
Last but not least, Kennedy advocates and lives a holistic health lifestyle. His advocacy reflects a belief in addressing root causes of public health crises, whether environmental or systemic. His values and beliefs align closely with principles valued by chiropractors, holistic healthcare practitioners, and a great many American families.
How Do You Feel Now?
The information I’ve provided might be new to you. It is history, our history, which is known by few. You might be surprised or even shocked. It could even confuse you if you are of the belief that our government and institutions always act in our best interest. My intention here isn’t to engage in the blame game. The past is the past. However, only by looking at our actions critically are we able to create change. The kind of sweeping change that we need and Kennedy is proposing. And all change, big or small, begins with awareness.
If you are happy with your health and the quality of your food, I doubt anyone, or anything is going to force you to change. However, it is undeniable that we are now living in a world shaped by decades of industrial progress. That begs the question, are the systems we’ve relied upon still serving us? Could we do better? I would hope that all of us want better for ourselves, our children, and the generations to come.
Whether you have a positive or negative impression of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. right now, he is asking us to consider a future where health and living in harmony with nature take center stage. He is asking us to consider or reconsider the future we are giving our children. His ideas might take you out of your comfort zone. They might even scare you. But he is giving us the opportunity to reimagine how we care for ourselves, the people we love, and the planet we all live on.
What Our Health is About
All these years after the Flexner Report we have come to understand that our health is more than visits to another specialist and prescriptions to ease the pain or mask the symptoms. It’s about the chemicals that pollute our water, air, food, and bodies. It’s about the choices we make and are allowed to make for ourselves. By questioning our way of life we aren’t rejecting progress, we’re embracing a better, healthier, more sustainable future.
Every day of my professional life I have worked to provide holistic healthcare and education to my patients. Everything I do for them I do for my own family. I have always acted based on my highest values to create healthy families. Now, even more boldly inspired by Kennedy, I look forward to all of use living and acting on our highest values for health.
If all of this is new to you and unsettling, know that being open to new ideas doesn’t mean abandoning your own critical thinking. It means recognizing the opportunity to improve things. Imagine a world where fewer chronic diseases are tied to preventable environmental exposures, where holistic therapies complement traditional medicine, and where we shift from treating symptoms to cultivating lasting wellness.
Every great transformation in history started with people willing to question the status quo and explore better solutions. Kennedy is urging us to do the same—not out of fear, but out of hope for a future where we prioritize what matters most.
Final Thoughts on Chiropractic Care
After nearly 40 years as a chiropractor, I believe we are on the brink of the most profound transformation of our lifetime. A new era of health is dawning—one where Americans are awakening to and gaining access to a healthier way of life. We are moving toward the truth that chiropractic’s founders and my mentors, colleagues and I have championed. The truth that generations of chiropractors have stood for with unwavering resolve. A truth we defended, even when the system tried to silence us, exclude us, and erase us. After all this time, this is our moment. This is our opportunity to make America healthy again.
Through the principles of The 100 Year Lifestyle®, 100 percent for 100 years, it is my hope that you embrace these principles and give yourself the healthy opportunities that come with the MAHA movement. We are here for you as is the entire team at Children’s Health Defense.
Here’s to the next 100 healthy years.
The post From Flexner to Kennedy: Here’s to the Next 100 Years appeared first on The 100 Year Lifestyle.
