Unlike many other professions, women did not have to struggle to gain equality in Chiropractic. In fact, from historical figures like Mabel Heath Palmer, D.C., and Sylvia Ashworth, D.C., to contemporary figures like Nell Williams, D.C., many of Chiropractic’s best-known practitioners are women. There are many ways in which women chiropractors have been successful, from helping to establish some of the country’s premier chiropractic schools to researching new adjustment methods. Today’s Chiropractic LifeStyle examines the history of women in Chiropractic and how it affects their future in the field.

Chiropractic Her-Story

The history of Chiropractic is full of tales of strong, capable women. Palmer College, the original school of Chiropractic, was founded in 1897 by D.D. Palmer, D.C. B.J. Palmer, D.C., took over Palmer School of Chiropractic in 1902 and spent the rest of his life researching and improving adjustment methods and working to institute higher standards in chiropractic education. But like the saying goes, “behind every great man is a great woman,” B.J. Palmer didn’t do it alone. His wife, Mabel Heath Palmer, is often referred to as “The First Lady of Chiropractic.” She became a Doctor of Chiropractic in 1905, and taught classes at Palmer for more than 30 years. She even published an anatomy textbook called “Chiropractic Anatomy.”

In addition to her expertise in the classroom, Mabel Palmer left another important legacy for the practice of Chiropractic: the Sigma Phi Chi sorority, the oldest chiropractic organization in the world outside of Palmer College. The organization, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011, strives to instill the principles of leadership, character, loyalty, friendship and service among its members. Over time, it has proven to be an important support system for women in the field.

Family Business

The current Supreme Kiatrus of Sigma Phi Chi is Dr. Glenda Foy, of Aledo, Ill. She was appointed to her position by Dr. Agnes Palmer, Mabel Palmer’s daughter-in-law. In many ways, Foy was born into Chiropractic—her grandmother was adjusted by Life University founder Sid Williams, D.C., and her mother became a Palmer student at the age of 32. “When I was two years old, I fell off a pony, and my eyes went crossed,” says Foy. “We went to a man named Dr. Heinz, and he told my mom she should become a chiropractor.” Dr. Heinz even offered her a position in his practice.

Eventually, Foy’s mother opened her own practice, using the family’s living room as the reception area and Foy’s bedroom as the adjusting room. Some people in the community, however, were prejudiced against Chiropractic. “They called my mom a ‘bone cracker,’” says Foy. Foy struggled with the name-calling until she had a one-on-one conversation with Dr. B.J. Palmer. “He told me that everyone has their own ideas about things,” she recalls. “It’s not always right, but it’s their opinion.” That lesson helped her reconcile her decision to eschew needles, shots and vaccines and helped move her closer to following in her mother’s footsteps. 

Because her mother thought she was too young to go to Palmer right after high school, Foy graduated with a teaching degree from Illinois State University and spent two years teaching the fifth grade. A teaching career was unfulfilling to Foy. “I felt that I was missing something in my life, that I could do more to help people,” she says. She graduated from Palmer in 1975 and is currently the director of the Chiropractic Arts Center in Aledo. The chiropractic gene remains strong in her family—her brother graduated from chiropractic school in 1977, and her daughter, who graduated from the Florida campus of Palmer, currently practices in Tampa.

Aside from the initial teasing about her mother’s profession, Foy believes that being a woman has been beneficial to her career in Chiropractic. “I never felt that because I was a woman that changed anything,” she says. “Women have that motherly instinct of caring and taking care of people that is so special.” Foy also believes that male chiropractors possess this instinct. “When you love Chiropractic, it just works,” she says. Alana Callender, Palmer College associate professor and executive director of the Association for the History of Chiropractic, agrees with Foy’s assessment. “Since women have always been an accepted part of the professional cadre,” she explains, “they have suffered the same historical discriminations from the outside world as their male counterparts have.”

LIFE’s Pioneers

The establishment and success of Life University would not have been possible without the efforts of Nell Williams, D.C.,wife of LIFE founder Sid Williams, D.C. Like the Palmers before them, the Williamses are a chiropractic power couple. In addition to many other roles over the course of her career, Nell Williams served as senior vice president and dean of student affairs.

The groundwork laid by the Williamses made countless chiropractic careers possible, including that of Dr. Deborah Pogrelis. Pogrelis, who practices at Towne Lake Family Chiropractic, P.C., in Woodstock, Ga., was a member of the first class at Life University. Her introduction to Chiropractic came after she was in an automobile accident while a student at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. “I was friends with some students who went to school at Logan [College of Chiropractic], and they convinced me that I should see a chiropractor,” Pogrelis recalls. “There were maybe a dozen of us who went to see an 83-year-old chiropractor. He would bring us back into the adjustment room in groups and talk to us about Chiropractic.” 

At the age of 20, Pogrelis and her husband took a trip to England, during which her husband briefly enrolled at a chiropractic college. When the couple returned to the U.S., they began to think that maybe Chiropractic was more than just a whim. “We were friends with Peter Heffernan, Terry Rondberg and some of the other people who [were around during the founding of} Life,” she says. They convinced her husband to attend a Dynamic Essentials meeting at LIFE in January 1975. He left on Thursday and returned to Missouri on Sunday night and announced, “We’re moving to Georgia.” Within two weeks of this announcement, the couple had packed up their belongings and started classes at LIFE. 

Her experiences at LIFE convinced Pogrelis that she had found her calling. Because the classes were small, the students became a very close-knit group. “We became a family,” says Pogrelis. Pogrelis, her husband and another couple became the founding board members of the LIFE grocery store in Marietta, a non-profit co-op. She became the first female clinic director and the first female dean of the college at LIFE, and she still serves on the Board of Trustees for Life University. “I am very proud to serve the institution,” she says.

Like Foy, Pogrelis says that her experience as a chiropractor has been enriched because of her gender. “I have patients who come to see me because they want to see a woman,” she says. “Women bring something special to the profession and are different from men in a positive way.” 

Supporting One Another

Female chiropractors may not experience much gender discrimination in their day-to-day work, but there are still many organizations that exist to support them. One of the most visible groups is the World Congress of Women Chiropractors (WC2). Jim Parker, D.C., set up the group (which included Foy) in 1980 as the Women Doctors Club, and it was later incorporated as WCWC in 1992. The organization provides networking opportunities, professional and personal support, scholarships and a mentoring program. Yet, given the environment of equality that exists in Chiropractic, other organizations, like the Women’s Council of the National Chiropractic Association, saw no need to continue operations. “In the 1960s, [the organization] chose to disband itself because there were no perceived differences between a woman and a man in practice,” says Callender. 

In today’s fast-paced workplace, some women still face obstacles when it comes to establishing and maintaining a healthy work/life balance. Compared to many other health care professions, however, Chiropractic seems to offer flexibility for those with families. “Chiropractors don’t get called at 2 a.m. to see a patient,” Pogrelis points out. Female chiropractors often set their own hours, or, if necessary, may elect to take some time away from the job. If they choose to go that route, they can rest assured that they will be able to pick things back up again quickly. “The knowledge necessary to adjust does not change,” notes Callender. “The computer system for billing may. The insurance regulations may. But the philosophy and art and even the science of Chiropractic is as immutable as the basics of the human body.” 

Despite the fact that women are traditionally smaller and often less physically powerful than men, historically, there has been little gender bias inherent in the profession of Chiropractic. When Chiropractic began in 1895, the medical community was a man’s world. However, this attitude has never existed in Chiropractic. And with LIFE’s current 50/50 male/female enrollment, it is evident that the chiropractic community continues to remain free of gender discrimination and bias. Chiropractic is full of women, past and present, who have lived the vitalistic lifestyle to its fullest and paved the way for many generations to come.