Kroppen under behandling - Gymnastikken, fysioterapien, kiropraktikken og lægevidenskaben ca. 1900-1930

Abstract

Artiklen har to formål, det første er at undersøge gymnastikkens, fysioterapiens og kiropraktikkens forhold til lægevidenskaben indenfor to områder, hvor det første omhandler definition og det andet relation. Det andet formål er, at beskrive de tre aktiviteter udvikling efter 1930.

The Body under Treatment – Gymnastics, Physical Therapy, Chiropractic and Medical Science from 1900 to 1930

At the beginning of the 20th century, Swedish gymnastics, physical therapy and chiropractic were established in Denmark respectively in the school system (gymnastics) and the treatment system (physical therapy and chiropractic). The common point of departure for the three activities was that health and healing could be achieved by manipulation and movement of joints and muscles. This article examines the activities and their relationship to the established medical science at the time regarding definition of science, health and healing. Furthermore, the relationship between experts (doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist or teacher) and layman (patient or student) is examined. Finally, the rationale for why these three activities to day have been assembled in an institute under a medical faculty is briefly discussed.

The medical world viewed gymnastics, physiotherapy and chiropractic differently, and the three acted differently in the meeting with the medical world. The scientific basis, claimed by the gymnastics, was shot down by modern science. Physiotherapists accepted that their subject was not viewed as a science but rather a craft and that the subject was under the control of the doctors in terms of accreditation, training and leadership of the professional association. Chiropractors were involved in a decade-long struggle with medical science. The struggle was two-fold – dealing with achieving recognition by obtaining authorization and defining health, illness and science as well as the therapist’s relationship to the patient. Nowadays, scientific findings have moved the boundaries for interpreting science as well as the understanding of the correlation between body, movement and health and have thereby provided a good background for bringing together the three activities in the same institute.