Chiropractic has finally been recognised by the Italian Parliament as a primary health care profession, 33 years after the founding of the Associazione Italiana Chiropratici (AIC), and 17 years after the presentation of the first law proposal for professional recognition.

On December 21, 2007, after years of unsuccessful attempts at professional recognition, an amendment concerning chiropractic, finally opened the door of Italy’s nationalised healthcare system to doctors of chiropractic. In a country that has the highest ratio of MDs to patients in the world (roughly 400.000 medical doctors in a population of less than 57 million) and boasts fewer than 300 chiropractors, this was certainly no easy feat.

* Backspace, Newsletter of the European Chiropractors’ Union, Volume 4, Number 1.