Chiropractic: Difference between revisions

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Chiropractic, or chiropractic care, is based on the belief that many health problems can be prevented and treated using spinal adjustments to correct vertebral subluxations which, according to chiropractors, are the cause of much disease. Chiropractic was founded by Daniel David Palmer. The claims of chiropractic do not satisfy the scientific standards of evidence-based medicine.

Chiropractors believe there is causal relationship between nerve interference or compression at the spine and subsequent problems in more distant body parts or organ systems connected by the nerve. Chiropractic is controversial within the medical community owing to the lack of scientific evidence for many of the claims made by chiropractors. Many doctors warn against the dangers of chiropractic. Sixty-two clinical neurologists issued a warning about the dangers of neck manipulation. The signers include private neurologists as well as chiefs of neurology departments of major teaching hospitals. Calling their concerns significant, they warn that stroke and death due to neck manipulation has been reported in the scientific literature for over 50 years and that manipulation is one of the leading causes of stroke in the under 45-age group[4].

The main chiropractic technique is joint manipulation (called "adjustment"), especially of the spine. Spinal adjustments may provide short-term relief of certain forms of back and neck pain, headaches, and other spine-related conditions, however, studies show conflicting results. A 1979 study showed manipulation of the lumbar spine to have no "superior long-term effect compared to other methods of treatment",^[1] while a 2005 study stated that "the inclusion of a chiropractic benefit resulted in a reduction in the rates of surgery, advanced imaging, inpatient care, and plain-film radiographs."^[2]

Chiropractors infer a causal relationship between nerve compression at the spine and disease or ill-health in distant body parts or organ systems connected by the nerve.

Chiropractors have been employed by professional and Olympic athletes. (Chiropractic at the Winter Olympic Games) Doctors and chiropractors sometimes work together as a team to benefit patients. Some chiropractors also employ massage and physiotherapists as adjuncts to chiropractic care.

A US Department of Labor Occupational Outlook handbook said:

Because chiropractors emphasize the importance of healthy lifestyles and do not prescribe drugs or perform surgery, chiropractic care is appealing to many health-conscious Americans. Chiropractic treatment of the back, neck, extremities, and joints has become more accepted as a result of research and changing attitudes about alternative, noninvasive health care practices.[5]

A 2002 survey release in 2004 by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine said chiropractic was the fourth most commonly used complementary and alternative medicine therapy among adults in the United States (7.5%).Template:Fn^,Template:Fn

Chiropractic was founded by Daniel David Palmer in Davenport, Iowa, USA. He said he received the chiropractic principles from a dead physician, Dr. Jim Atkinson, during a seance.[6] [7] Palmer’s son, B. J. Palmer initiated research, development and promotion of chiropractic.

DD Palmer's effort to find a single cause for all disease led him to say A subluxated vertebra . . . is the cause of 95 percent of all diseases. . . . The other five percent is caused by displaced joints other than those of the vertebral column. (From: Palmer DD. The Science, Art and Philosophy of Chiropractic. Portland, Oregon: Portland Printing House Company, 1910.) The term chiropractic originated when Palmer asked a patient - Rev. Samuel Weed - to come up with a name from the Greek language to describe his practice. Weed suggested combining the words chiros and praktikos (meaning "done by hand") to describe the adjustment of a vertebra in the spinal column.

Palmer and his patient Harvey Lillard give differing accounts of when and how Palmer began to experiment with spinal manipulation.

Palmer recalled an incident in 1895 whereby he was investigating the medical history of a deaf janitor, Harvey Lillard. Lillard informed Palmer that while working in a cramped area seventeen years earlier, he felt a 'pop' in his back, and had been nearly deaf ever since. Palmer’s examination found a sore lump which indicated spinal misalignment and a possible cause of Lillard's deafness. Palmer corrected the misalignment, and Lillard could then hear the wheels of the horse-drawn carts in the street below. ^[3] Palmer said there was nothing accidental about this, as it was accomplished with an object in view, and the expected result was obtained. [8]

Lillard said he had been swapping jokes in the hall outside Palmer's office. Palmer joined them and, amused at a joke, slapped Lillard on the back with a book he was carrying. A few days later Lillard told Palmer that his hearing had improved. Palmer then began to experiment with manipulative procedures. ^[4]

Chiropractic is now practiced in hundreds of different ways.^[5]

Although Chiropractic gained more acceptance from the 1960's, its popularity is declining. The US National Center for Education Statistics reports that enrollments for sixteen U.S. chiropractic programs fell by 39.9% from 16,500 in 1996 to 9,921 in 2002, and the number of Chiropractic patients fell by 25% from 1997 to 2002. ^[6]

From the mid-1960s the American Medical Association (AMA) boycotted chiropractors claiming the practice was "unscientific". An antitrust suit brought against the AMA in 1976 - Wilk et al v. American Medical Association et al - by Wilk and other chiropractors charged the AMA, as well as the Joint Council on Accreditation of Hospitals and the American College of Physicians and other medical associations, with restraint of trade. The landmark lawsuit concluded in in 1987 when the Federal Appeals Court found the AMA guilty of conspiracy and restraint of trade. The Joint Council on Accreditation of Hospitals and the American College of Physicians were exonerated. The court recognized a "patient care defense," but imposed a difficult burden of proof on the AMA which had to show its concern for patients could not have been satisfied in a manner less restrictive of competition. The AMA then lost its appeal to the Supreme Court and had to allow its members to collaborate with chiropractors. ^{PDF of key transcripts}

The judge in the Wilk case said the AMA had covered up research on the effectiveness of chiropractic for back pain. She then said chiropractors clearly wanted “a judicial pronouncement that chiropractic is a valid. efficacious, even scientific health care service.” She said no ”well designed, controlled, scientific study” had been done and concluded “I decline to pronounce chiropractic valid or invalid on anecdotal evidence.” . ^{PDF of key transcripts}

Palmer imbued the term "subluxation" with a metaphysical and philosophical meaning. He held that certain dislocations of bones interfered with the "innate intelligence", a kind of spiritual energy or life force dependent upon God that connects the brain to the rest of the body. Palmer claimed that subluxations interfered with the proper communication of this innate intelligence with the rest of the body, and that by fixing them 100% of all diseases could be treated.

In the mid-1990s the Association of Chiropractic Colleges redefined a subluxation as follows: "A subluxation is a complex of functional and/or structural and/or pathological articular changes that compromise neural integrity and may influence organ system and general health." In 1997 the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research defined a subluxation as "a joint problem (whether a problem with the way the joint is functioning, a physical problem with the joint, or a combination of any of these) that affects the function of nerves and therefore affects the body's organs and general health."

Most chiropractors subscribe to the principle that the body has an intelligent and self-healing physiology. One result of this is the general chiropractic belief that healthcare interventions should consider the person as a whole and that conservative (non-invasive) treatment approaches should be used where possible.

Both chiropractic and mainstream medicine hold that much of the body is controlled by nerve impulses sent to and from the brain along the spinal cord. Whether the brain commanding the foot to move, the foot signaling the brain that it is in pain, or even a simple patellar reflex, the spinal cord is involved. Outgoing impulses from the brain pass down the spinal cord and exit through the appropriate spinal nerve branch held between the vertebrae on either side of the spinal cord. There are 31 pairs of spinal nerves that emerge from the spinal cord; all of which are housed by vertebrae. If the vertebrae are misaligned (subluxated), chiropractic doctors believe that a spinal nerve can be squeezed or pinched and therefore message flow can be compromised. By aligning the vertebrae and removing restrictions on the spinal nerves, chiropractic claims to allow the spinal cord to more effectively relay messages to and from the brain; thus promoting better health.

There is scientific agreement that an evidence based medicine framework should be used to assess health outcomes and that systematic reviews with strict protocols are essential. Organisations such as the Cochrane Collaboration and Bandolier publish such reviews.

For the following conditions the Cochrane Collaboration found insufficient evidence that chiropractic is beneficial:

• Asthma
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Painful menstrual periods

For the following conditions Bandolier found insufficient evidence that chiropractic is beneficial:

• Migraine
• Chronic low back pain
• Menopausal symptoms

Some traditional medical practitioners do not believe that chiropractic is science-based. University of Saskatchewan sociologist Leslie Biggs surveyed Canadian Chiropractors in 1997 and found that 74.3% of those interviewed (n=600) did not believe that controlled clinical trials were the best way to evaluate Chiropractic methods. The same study revealed that 68.1% believed that most diseases are caused by spinal malalignment. [9]

Likewise numerous Chiropractors on the web [10] claim to treat infantile colic. According to a 1999 survey of the Ontario Chiropractic Association (which represents 83% of the Chiropractors in Ontario), 46% treated children for colic.[11] However in 2001 a Norwegian double-blind study demonstrated that Chiropractic manipulation for infantile colic proved only slightly better (10%) than the placebo group. [12]

In another trial, spinal manipulation for episodic tension headache showed no significant value beyond placebo in controlled trials. [13]

As with all interventions, risks may be associated with the practice of spinal manipulation. These risks, although rare, include vertebrobasilar accidents, strokes, disc herniations, vertebral fracture, and cauda equina syndrome, according to Harrison's. Most serious complications occur after cervical (neck) manipulation. The practice of greatest concern is the rotary neck movement, sometimes called "Master cervical" or "rotary break", which has led to trauma, paralysis, strokes, and death among patients.

Documented serious complications due to manipulation of the cervical spine are extremely rare, being 1 in 3 or 4 million manipulations or fewer. The current estimate is based on multiple international studies of millions of chiropractic cervical adjustments spanning from present day back to at least 1965. The "one in a million" estimate is echoed in an extensive review of spinal manipulation performed by the RAND corporation. However in one other study, Dvorak cites figures of 1 in 400,000 while Jaskoviak reported approximately 5 million cervical manipulations from 1965 to 1980 at The National College of Chiropractic Clinic in Chicago, without a single case of vertebral artery stroke or serious injury. [14]. Less conservative treatments such as neck surgery are also commonly used for conditions very similar to the conditions chiropractors treat using spinal adjustments. In comparison, cervical spine surgery has a 3-4% rate of complication and 4,000-10,000 deaths per million neck surgeries.

With studies of this nature it is difficult to determine what percentage of incidents remain unreported, if any at all. The RAND study, for example, assumed that only 1 in 10 cases would have been reported. Dr. Edzard Ernst surveyed all neurologists in Britain for cases of serious neurological complication occuring within 24 hours after cervical spinal manipulation during the past year. 35 such cases had been seen by the 24 who responded, and none of those cases had been reported. His survey led him to conclude that underreporting was closer to 100%, rendering estimates "non-sensical." [15]

A 2001 study in the medical journal Stroke, found that vertebrobasilar accidents (VBAs) are five times more likely to occur in those aged <45 years who have visited a chiropractor within 1 week prior to the VBA, than for controls who have not visited a chiropractor.[16]

DD Palmer in a letter of May 4, 1911 said:

"we must have a religious head, one who is the founder, as did Christ, Mohamed, Jo. Smith, Mrs. Eddy, Martin Luther and other who have founded religions. I am the fountain head. I am the founder of chiropractic in its science, in its art, in its philosophy and in its religious phase." ^[7]

Keating et al writing for the Association for the History of Chiropractic said DD Palmer

”introduced the concept of Innate Intelligence circa 1904. Innate, he believed, was an intelligent entity which directed all the functions of the body, and used the nervous system to exert its influence. Old Dad Chiro eventually came to see Innate Intelligence as an individual manifestation of Universal Intelligence, or God (Donahue 1986, 1987).”

Palmer also wrote:

"I have answered the time-worn question -- what is life?” pp. 17-19 of his book The Chiropractor's Adjuster (also called The Text-Book of the Science, Art and Philosophy of Chiropractic). The book was published in 1910 by the Portland Printing House Company of Portland, Oregon, and reprinted in 1966 by his grandson, David D. Palmer, 1966.

American chiropractor Lon Morgan, writing in the Journal of Canadian Chiropractic Association, said "Innate Intelligence clearly has its origins in borrowed mystical and occult practices of a bygone era. It remains untestable and unverifiable and has an unacceptably high penalty/benefit ratio for the chiropractic profession. The chiropractic concept of Innate Intelligence is an anachronistic holdover from a time when insufficient scientific understanding existed to explain human physiological processes. It is clearly religious in nature and must be considered harmful to normal scientific activity."

In the United States of America chiropractors receive the degree Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) and are referred to as "doctor" and are licensed in all jurisdictions.

In the United States, the Council on Chiropractic Education[17] (CCE) is in charge of setting minimum guidelines for chiropractic colleges; however, additional requirements may be needed for a license depending on the jurisdiction where a chiropractor chooses to practice. In 2005, 15 chiropractic programs and 2 chiropractic institutions in the United States were accredited by the CCE. The process of credentialing varies widely by country.

Students often enter chiropractic school with a Bachelor's degree, or with three years of post-secondary education in the sciences and other appropriate coursework. However, in 2005 "only one chiropractic college required a baccalaureate degree as an admission requirement."[18] The minimum prerequisite for enrollment in a chiropractic college set forth by the CCE is 90 semester hours. The minimum cumulative GPA for a student entering a chiropractic college is 2.50. Commonly required classes include: communication or language skills, psychology, social science or humanities, biology, organic and inorganic chemistry, and physics. Other common medical classes are: anatomy or embryology, physiology, microbiology, diagnosis, neurology, x-ray, orthopedics, obstetrics, and gynecology.

In the United States, chiropractic programs require a minimum of 4,200 hours of combined classroom, laboratory, and clinical experience. The last 2 years stress courses in manipulation and spinal adjustment and provide clinical experience in physical and laboratory diagnosis, orthopedics, neurology, geriatrics, physiotherapy, and nutrition. Coursework in Chiropractic school may also include study in gross anatomy, biochemistry, embryology, microbiology, anatomy and physiology in the first half of formal schooling.

Graduates of chiropractic schools have to complete 5 years of schooling and pass 4 national board exams in order to complete their education. To qualify for licensure, graduates of chiropractic schools must sit for State examination. Most State boards require at least 2 years of undergraduate education; an increasing number are requiring a 4-year bachelor’s degree. All boards require the completion of a 4-year program at an accredited chiropractic college leading to the Doctor of Chiropractic degree. Once licensed, most States require chiropractors to annually attend 12 to 48 hours of continuing education courses.

Chiropractic colleges also offer Postdoctoral training in neurology, orthopedics, sports injuries, nutrition, rehabilitation, industrial consulting, radiology, family practice, pediatrics, and applied chiropractic sciences. Once such training is complete, chiropractors may take specialty exams leading to “diplomate” status in a given specialty including orthopedics, neurology and radiology. Exams are administered by specialty chiropractic associations.

In Australia chiropractic is taught at three universities: RMIT in Melbourne, Murdoch University in Perth and Macquarie University in Sydney.To be registered by various state Chiropractic Registration Boards a Bachelor of Chiropractic Science, a Bachelor of Science or health-related degree, plus the successful completion of a full-fee paying postgraduate qualifying program for the Master of Chiropractic is required.^[8]

Contemporary chiropractic is divided into three schools of thought - straight, mixer, and reform - which differ in their approaches to patient care. All chiropractic approaches are based on non-invasive, non-medication approaches, with many based on the use of manipulation as a treatment for mechanical musculoskeletal dysfunction of the spine and extremities. The three schools of thought do not correspond exactly to the existing membership organizations, but there are clear trends, with adherents tending to favor certain organizations.

The three categorizations are currently used mainly within the profession and in discussions. Since the actual differences are very real, they are explained here for the benefit of the general public, which is generally unaware of these differences:

1. Straight chiropractors primarily concern themselves with vertebral subluxation correction. Practitioners often use varying vertebral manipulation techniques known as "adjustments" for the purpose of preventive medicine and pain relief. Straight chiropractors hold that only the body can cure the body. By aligning the vertebrae, straight chiropractors believe that they are clearing nerve impulse restrictions and therefore providing a more efficient dialogue between the brain and the rest of the body's systems, thus putting the body in a better position to cure (or heal) itself. Straight chiropractors represent a minority position, and tend to be members of the International Chiropractors Association (ICA), and the World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA).
2. Mixing chiropractors combine contemporary medical diagnosis and treatment with chiropractic adjustments. Mixing style practitioners utilize adjustments to treat chiropractic subluxations, as well as nutrition and naturopathic style remedies for other disorders. Methods used might include ultrasound, TENS, rehabilitation or the use of other diagnostic methods such as Applied Kinesiology (AK). Mixing chiropractic is itself divided into conservative and liberal groupsTemplate:Fn. Many mixers are members of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), but there are also many exceptions.
3. Reform chiropractors are oriented at mainstream medicine, advocating a highly limited use of chiropractic care primarily for treatment of musculoskeletal conditions only.

Most universities teaching chiropractic, including Palmer in Davenport Iowa, USA, utilize rehabilitation methods, exercise, physiological therapeutics and nutrition. The National College (now University) incorporated physical therapy as early as 1912, even before there was a profession bearing its name. The profession in the USA continues to be divided only into specialities. Some do spine-only. Others prefer to do sports and rehabilitation. There are musculoskeletal foci and those who co-manage people with organic problems, MS or cancer along with their regular medical approaches.

• From ChiroWeb:
  • Template:Fnb Cherkin, Daniel C.; Mootz, Robert D. (1997) Chiropractic in the United States: Training, Practice, and Research, available online
  • Template:Fnb Healey, James W. (1990) "It's Where You Put the Period", Dynamic Chiropractic, Volume 08, Issue 21 (October 10, 1990) available online

• From the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) (nccam.nih.gov):
  • Template:Fnb More Than One-Third of U.S. Adults Use Complementary and Alternative Medicine, According to New Government Survey (Press Release), May 27 2004, available online
  • Template:Fnb Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Adults: United States, 2002 (Report), May 27 2004, available online (PDF format)

• Applied kinesiology
• Manipulative therapy
• Naprapathy
• Osteopathy
• Physical Therapy
• Reflexology

Chiropractic organizations

• American Chiropractic Association (ACA)
• British Chiropractic Association (BCA)
• Canadian Chiropractic Association (CCA)
• Japanese Association of Chiropractors (JAC)
• International Chiropractors Association (ICA)
• National Association for Chiropractic Medicine
• World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA)
• World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC)

Chiropractic colleges

• Anglo-European College of Chiropractic
• Association of Chiropractic Colleges
• Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College
• Cleveland Chiropractic College
• Life Chiropractic College West
• Life University School of Chiropractic
• Logan College of Chiropractic
• McTimoney Chiropractic College (UK)
• New York Chiropractic College
• New Zealand College of Chiropractic
• Palmer Chiropractic College
• Parker College of Chiropractic (Dallas, TX)
• Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic (Spartanburg, SC)
• Texas Chiropractic College
• University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic
• Western States Chiropractic College

Descriptions of chiropractic procedures

• Chiropractic treatments for back pain by Spine-health.com
• Glossary of Chiropractic Terms
• Lower Back Pain Answers

Other resources

• 3D Spine Simulator -- Interactive nerve chart, body posture and subluxation / degeneration models
• Mercola -- alternative health website with many articles about chiropractic treatment
• Chiropractic Resource Organization
• Dynamic Chiropractic Online
• Planet Chiropractic -- More than 1000 Chiropractic related articles
• Today's Chiropractic magazine
• National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association

• A Different Way To Heal? -- PBS - Scientific American Frontiers, Web Feature
• Chirobase.org -- a "Skeptical Guide to Chiropractic History, Theories, and Practices", Stephen Barrett
• Commentary: The Specter of Dogma -- Joseph C. Keating, Jr., PhD
• Faulty Logic and Non-skeptical Arguments in Chiropractic -- Joseph C. Keating Jr, PhD