Chiropractic is an alternative health care method that involves manipulating the spine to bring it into proper alignment. It has struggled to gain acceptance as a viable health profession due to skepticism and condemnation from the medical profession. However, it is much safer than most traditional medical treatments and has been shown to be effective for a number of conditions. Chiropractic emphasizes prevention and wellness and seeks to eliminate the cause of health problems rather than just treating the symptoms.
Chiropractic is an alternative health care method developed in 1895 by David Daniel Palmer of Davenport, Iowa. Chiropractic care primarily involves manipulating the spine to bring it into proper alignment, although some practitioners include other types of treatment. Chiropractic is much safer than most traditional medical treatments and has been shown to be effective for a number of conditions, but it has also met with skepticism and condemnation from the medical profession, with some saying it is unscientific and carries no real health benefits. Today, chiropractors are licensed in every state in the United States and the profession is practiced in more than 100 countries.
The basic premise behind chiropractic is that misalignment of the spinal joints, called vertebral subluxation, puts pressure on the nerves and can cause a multitude of ailments throughout the body. Realigning the spine can help heal such ailments and promote overall well-being. A small group of chiropractors today, known as the Reform School, do not accept the idea of vertebral subluxation and simply use chiropractic to treat musculoskeletal problems.
Over the years, chiropractic has struggled to gain acceptance as a viable health profession. One of the problems with the validity of chiropractic arose in its early years, when DD Palmer and his son, BJ, argued that subluxations of the spine caused disease by blocking the flow of what they called innate intelligence throughout the body. Although most chiropractors today do not subscribe to the idea of innate intelligence, or rather explain it as the normal functioning and self-healing power of the body, rather than something metaphysical, the idea has made it difficult for some to accept chiropractic .
Another problem with chiropractic is that the nature of the treatment makes it difficult to evaluate through traditional methods. Because the doctor uses his hands or other methods to manipulate the patient’s body, double-blind studies like those used in drug trials are not possible. Today, chiropractic is often used in conjunction with more traditional medical care or specifically to treat musculoskeletal problems. Although chiropractors must complete six to eight years of higher education to be licensed in the United States and be designated as physicians, chiropractic is often not covered by insurance plans.
Chiropractic has a number of advantages over traditional health treatments. It is non-invasive and drug-free, making it safer than other treatments. Chiropractic emphasizes prevention and wellness, while traditional medicine in the United States has historically focused more on curing disease. Chiropractic also seeks to eliminate the cause of health problems rather than just treating the symptoms. While chiropractic hasn’t been conclusively proven effective, there is ample anecdotal evidence for it and negligible side effects to fear, especially when compared to traditional medicine. The American Medical Association (AMA) issued a statement in 1997 in favor of the use of chiropractic for musculoskeletal disorders.
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