Early History of NZAMSM
HISTORY of MUSCULOSKELETAL MEDICINE in NEW ZEALAND
260 years ago Medical Practitioners were “Bone Setters” and “Healers” largely using manual skills and supported by Churches and Social agencies. In London at this time the first “Medical Centres” were established, initially converted houses, which became the first Medical Institutions and now well established Hospitals and Medical Schools such as London Hospital Medical College and St Batholomews. In these early days of the development of Medicine a group of practitioners practicing Manual Therapy led by A Still split off forming a separate group of Osteopathic Physicians. Dramatic advances in Medicine have occurred in the last 100 years. The stethescope, Xrays, vaccinations and antibiotics have all only been part of medicine in the last century. Medicine has evolved with a progressive loss of the “Art” of medicine, clinical hands-on skills and manual therapy have been replaced by high-tech investigations and pharmaceuticals. In the 1970s in NZ there were only a handful of NZ Doctors who practiced Manual Medicine, mostly Cyriax type techniques.
In the early 1970s a study of patients attending the department of Physical Medicine at Auckland Hospital revealed that many patients could have been diagnosed and treated by General Practitioners, but were referred on to the hospital because of lack of knowledge about musculoskeletal problems. As a result and with generous support from the Rose Hellaby Medical ScholarshipsTrust, Drs Johannes Fossgreen and Tobin Pripp, Rheumatologists from Denmark held courses in Manual Medicine in Auckland in 1975. Further teaching by Dr James Fisk Physical Medicine Specialist from Hamilton was held in 1978.
Formation of the NZAMSM
In 1979 a NZ Government commissioned report on Chiropractic delivered recommendations that only Chiropractors and Osteopaths should practice Manual Therapy. The NZ Medical Association at the time formed a committee; Dr G Perry (Rheumatologist), Dr J.G.Abercrombie, Dr R Bernau, Dr C.M.Williamson and Dr D Carnachan (General Practitioners interested in Manual Therapy) to respond to this report. They highlighted deficiencies in the report and it was subsequently never enacted. This committee also acknowledged deficiencies in medical training of Doctors to exam and treat common musculoskeletal complaints with manual therapy. They formed the NZ Association of Musculoskeletal Medicine in 1980 with the aim of promoting and teaching Musculoskeletal Medicine in NZ. This new organization with Dr J.G. Abercrombie as President immediately attracted 40-50 members and over the first year 150 NZ Medical Practitioners. The inaugural conference was held in Rotorua in 1981 and NZAMSM became a member of the International Federation of Manual Therapy (FIMM) in the same year. In 1982 a combined meeting was held with the Australian Association of Manual Therapy (AAMM) in Rotorua and strong links were forged between these two organizations that remain today.