Why Representation Matters in Chiropractic:
Black communities carry the greatest burden of chronic disease in America, from hypertension and diabetes to musculoskeletal pain and maternal health disparities. Yet, these same communities remain among the least likely to seek chiropractic care. The reason isn’t just access. It’s representation.
When you don’t see yourself in a profession, you start to believe it’s not meant for you. For decades, chiropractic has lacked the visibility and diversity to make it feel accessible to everyone. That absence has real consequences for both for patients who could benefit from chiropractic care and for the future of the profession itself.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
According to a 2024 report in the Journal of Chiropractic Education, only about 2% of chiropractors in the United States identify as Black, compared to roughly 13% of the U.S. population. Similar gaps exist for other minority groups. Hispanics make up 18.1% of the population but only 6.4% of chiropractors, and Native Americans account for just 0.3% (Oberstein et al., 2024).
From “Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Chiropractic: Aligning the Profession to Serve Tomorrow’s Diverse World” by Johnson, Green, Ahmed, Amorin-Woods, Burnham, and colleagues (2025), in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Healthcare. Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-13251-3.00001-6
Even in chiropractic education, representation remains low. Across U.S. chiropractic colleges, just 7% of students are Black, 12.6% are Hispanic, and 0.6% are Native American, numbers that fail to reflect the communities these schools serve.
Despite decades of growth in holistic healthcare, racial and ethnic minorities are still half as likely to use chiropractic care as white Americans even when cost and insurance are the same. Researchers have found that this gap is rooted not only in access, but in trust, awareness, and the historic lack of diversity within the profession itself.
Representation Is Transformational
When a patient walks into a chiropractic office and sees someone who looks like them, understands their community, and shares their cultural context, it changes everything. Representation builds trust. And trust opens the door to care.
Diverse practitioners are also more likely to practice in underserved areas, provide culturally relevant education, and design outreach that resonates with their communities. These aren’t just gestures of inclusion, they’re measurable steps toward reducing health disparities and increasing health equity.
As one DEI summit participant put it:
“A diverse, culturally aware chiropractic workforce is essential to meeting the needs of a diverse population.”
The Profession Is Taking Notice
In 2020–2021, Life Chiropractic College West hosted a series of national Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Summits to address these very issues. The summits brought together leaders from 13 chiropractic colleges and 16 professional organizations to identify solutions and create action plans for change.
The results were eye-opening:
Before the first summit, only 48% of participants rated their understanding of DEI as “moderately or very high.” Afterward, that number rose to 74%.
Over 150 actionable steps were identified to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in chiropractic institutions and organizations nationwide.
Top priorities included recruiting more diverse students, hiring diverse faculty, integrating DEI training into curricula, and establishing scholarships for underrepresented students (Oberstein et al., 2024).
J Chiropr Educ 2024 Vol. 38 No. 2
These findings align with international research published in 2025, which emphasized that a lack of racial diversity limits chiropractic’s ability to meet the health needs of tomorrow’s population (Johnson et al., 2025).
Diversify Chiropractic, Inc.
Representation doesn’t happen by chance, it’s built intentionally through community.
That’s why Diversify Chiropractic Inc. exists. Dedicated to nurturing an inclusive and diverse chiropractic community, the organization supports, promotes, and educates to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across the profession.
Through mentorship programs, educational initiatives, and culturally sensitive events, Diversify Chiropractic empowers doctors, students, and the public to foster a more equitable and culturally competent chiropractic field.
By championing DEI at every level, Diversify Chiropractic reminds the profession that chiropractic is, and always should be, for every body.
Representation Is the Tipping Point
If chiropractic truly believes in wellness for every body, then every body must be represented. Representation isn’t a buzzword, it’s the bridge between awareness and action. It’s what transforms a profession from being seen as alternative to being recognized as essential.
At ChiroJunky Collective, we’re not just highlighting the gap, we’re closing it. By supporting chiropractors of color, promoting inclusive care, and amplifying the message that chiropractic is for every body, we’re helping the profession evolve into what it was always meant to be: whole, inclusive, and accessible.
