How Chiropractors Became the Backbone of MAHA [View all]

“People that graduated with me in 2017, probably out of 100 people … around 70 or 80 of them were Kennedy freaks,” says Gabe Padilla, who once studied and worked as a chiropractor but has since left the field. “And I’m talking about, wow, they lived and breathed this man. They would drink his bath water if they could.”

In return, Kennedy has made sure to show his appreciation. He’s been interviewed by chiropractors, sold “Chiropractors for Kennedy” bumper stickers and appeared on chiropractic college campuses. There’s a chiropractic liaison for MAHA now, whose job is to keep chiropractic organizations connected to the larger movement.

Yet the most consequential gift Kennedy can give to this group may be reputational: With Kennedy now Health and Human Services secretary under Trump and MAHA principles becoming more prevalent, a growing number of people are seeking alternative medicine, including among chiropractors. Spending on wellness in general has hit more than $500 billion in the United States and is projected to continue growing. Meanwhile, the employment of chiropractors is forecasted to rise 10 percent over the next decade, at a higher rate than the average for all occupations.

The industry, which has long been shunned by the medical establishment, is also seeking new influence in Washington — and sees an opportunity to find it through the MAHA agenda. Longshot goals in Congress and at HHS to boost chiropractors may not be so fantastical all of a sudden.

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/12/06/maha-chiropractors-robert-f-kennedy-jr-00674307