|
Chiropractic is a
complementary and alternative health care profession which aims to
diagnose, treat, and prevent mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal
system and their effects on the nervous system and general health.
Chiropractors believe misalignments, or subluxations of the spine
interfere with the body's self-regulating mechanisms, primarily the
nervous system. A chiropractor may specialize in treating low back
problems or sports injuries, or may combine chiropractic with manipulation
of the extremities, physiotherapy, nutrition, or exercises to increase
spinal strength or improve overall health. He/she may also use other
complementary and alternative methods as a part of a holistic treatment
approach. They do not prescribe drugs or perform surgery. While there is
evidence that spinal manipulation can be effective for low back pain and
headaches, some of the other claims that chiropractors make concerning the
benefits to health are based mainly on subjective reports from clinical
experience, while objective evidence from controlled trials is lacking.
Chiropractic was founded in 1895 by Daniel David Palmer, and was based on
the belief that all health problems could be prevented and treated using
"adjustments" of the spine, and sometimes other joints, to correct what he
termed "subluxations". He, and later his son, BJ Palmer, postulated that
these subluxations were misaligned vertebrae which caused nerve
compression that "interfered" with the transmission of what he termed
"Innate Intelligence". This interference interrupted the proper flow of
Innate Intelligence from "above, down, inside, and out" to the organ to
which it travelled. As a result, the human body would experience "dis-ease"
or disharmony which would result in a loss of health. He compared this
process to stepping on a hose that slowed the flow of water to a garden.
If you take your foot off the hose, the flow of water returns to normal
and the garden will flourish.
While the "pinched hose theory" has mostly been abandoned, it is still
used in a modified form by some chiropractors to explain the concept of
vertebral subluxation. However, the concept of the subluxation, for which
there is disputed scientific evidence, remains an integral part of the
typical chiropractic practice. Nevertheless, in 2003, 90% of chiropractors
believed the vertebral subluxation complex played a significant role in
all or most diseases, and practiced accordingly. The remainder limited
their practices to the care of musculoskeletal problems.
The initial chiropractic technique was manipulation of the spine and
remains the primary technique. The chiropractic adjustment differs from
other manipulative techniques in its precision and accuracy in correcting
vertebral subluxations. Today's chiropractor may continue to adhere to the
strict tenets of Palmer and use only spinal adjustments or he/she may also
include a broad range of methods, short of drugs and surgery, that are
directed at "correcting" subluxations and/or relieving musculoskeletal
pain. Some doctors of chiropractic employ chiropractic assistants to work
as office staff and perform therapeutic activities and may also employ
massage and physiotherapists as adjuncts to chiropractic care.
There are two main groups of chiropractors, known within the field as
"straights" and "mixers". Both groups treat patients using a subluxation
based treatment system. Differences are based on the reasons for giving
adjustments, claims made about the effects of those adjustments, and
various additional treatments or sub-specialities provided.
|
