Principal Eva Skillgate began by briefly defining naprapathy and explaining how it was founded in the USA by Oakley Smith over 100 years ago, inspired by, among other things, Czech manual medicine.
Naprapathy has existed in Sweden since 1970, when Björn J:son Berg brought the treatment method home after studying in the USA. He incorporated our Nordic massage techniques, thereby creating Nordic naprapathy. The naprapathy program quickly became a popular course of study that attracted many students, and naprapaths are now the largest group of practitioners within manual medicine.
Skillgate concluded her part of the presentation by reviewing some key dates in the history of naprapathy, such as professional licensure in 1994, eligibility for student financial aid in 2001, protected professional title in 2006, and established research collaboration with the Karolinska Institute in 2009.
The presentation continued with School of Naprapathy's directors of studies, Helène Schulte and Helene Hultholm, providing an overview of the naprapathy program's curriculum: "a broad medical education with a specialization in naprapathic manual therapy."
The evening continued with a tour of the School of Naprapathy facilities. Second-year students demonstrated neurological status and massage, while fourth-year students demonstrated the examination and treatment of acute lumbago.