Chiroblog

The 1907, a landmark law case occurred in Chiropractic.  Believe it or not, chiropractors were being arrested and jailed (yes I am not kidding) for practicing medicine without a license. Over the course of the early to mid 1900’s, over 600 chiropractors were jailed, some multiple times!   

Wisconsin v. Morikubo case was the first successful legal defense of chiropractic, establishing it as a distinct profession from medicine and osteopathy. Arrested for practicing medicine without a license, Shegataro Morikubo, DC, from LaCrosse, Wisconsin, was acquitted based on attorney Tom Morris’s brilliant defense.   Morris was the lawyer hired by Dr BJ Palmer, one of the founders of chiropractic and at the time, president of the Palmer School of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa.  Attorney Morris illustrated to the court that chiropractic was a separate and distinct "science, art, and philosophy" focused on the nerve system, not blood (which was the major tenet of osteopathy). 

Attorney Tom Morris argued that because Dr Morikubo did not use drugs or surgery, nor was he taught about drugs or surgery in chiropractic school, he was not practicing medicine. The defense focused on differentiating the chiropractic "philosophy of the nerve" from the osteopathic "supremacy of the artery".  The trial is considered a landmark event that saved the chiropractic profession during its early difficult years and also helped to establish future chiropractic licensing boards in all 50 states. 

It is amazing that now almost 120 years later, that pivotal case still protects chiropractic but even more importantly, shows how our version of brain-based chiropractic can be cited as having one of its early beginning promoters a clever attorney who knew why chiropractic was so special!

References:

The Morikubo Trial: Content Analysis of a Landmark Chiropractic Legal Case. Senzon 2019

https://chiroindex.org/?search_page=articles&action=&articleId=25851&search1=%22Subluxation%22

Looking back at the lawsuit that transformed the chiropractic profession

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8493523/pdf/i2374-250X-35-S1-25.pdf

The superficial stomach muscles, called the rectus abdominus, are made up of a right and left side, connecting strongly in the middle. A common condition during pregnancy is diastasis recti abdominis, the separation of the two sides of these core muscles. A study found that halfway through pregnancy, at least one third of women have this condition. You can actually visualize a diastasis by having the pregnant mom perform a mini sit-up, to see if the abdominal wall ‘cones’ or ‘pouches’ up.

There are many causes of diastasis recti abdominis. Unavoidable factors include hormonal changes which relax the tissues in the abdomen. Multiple pregnancies close together as well as being pregnant with twins are also factors.  Heavy lifting, crunches, planks, and slouched posture should be avoided as much as possible while pregnant. Whether the cause is avoidable or not, there are plenty of ways to help strengthen the core and work towards a reversal of the separation.

            The abdominal muscles can be supported during pregnancy, helping to decrease the severity of this condition. Focusing on belly breathing to properly engage the diaphragm and core is simple and can be done easily throughout the day. Consistent, low impact movement like walking, yoga, and swimming get the body moving in a way that helps to both strengthen and relax the muscles. Good posture is important and can be supported through aligning the spine with chiropractic adjustments. But importantly, if the person’s pelvis is out of alignment, then prenatal-specific chiropractic adjustments are essential to ensure that the abdominal muscles can heal properly. Properly preparing the body throughout pregnancy is essential, and those preparations should include regular exercise and chiropractic care by specifically trained perinatal certified chiropractors. 

References

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27324871/

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10029-025-03417-5.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/368909964_The_chiropractic_care_of_pregnant_women_a_scoping_review_of_the_literature/fulltext/6400dec60d98a97717d0baa0/The-chiropractic-care-of-pregnant-women-a-scoping-review-of-the-literature.pdf