Chiropractic, also known as chiropractic care, is a world-wide health discipline that seeks to prevent and treat health problems utilizing spinal adjustments in order to correct subluxations. The brain and nervous system control and coordinate all the body's functions, in part through nerve branches that exit from the spinal cord between the vertebra. Slight spinal misalignments are said to interfere with the function of the nerve as it exits the verterbral foramina. Chiropractors were the first to infer a causal relationship between nerve interferance or compression at the spine, and subsequent problems in more distant parts or organ systems regulated by the nerve. In medicine, a subluxation is a partial dislocation or abnormal movement of a bone in a joint. ...

Practitioners of chiropractic are called chiropractors. They receive the degree Doctor of Chiropractic, (D.C.) and are commonly called a doctor in the same way that a dentist is called a doctor. The term chiropractic physician is allowed in some states, but this term is not in general use.

This practice has been shown to be effective in treating back and neck pain, headaches, and other symptoms of spine-related conditions. Back pain is one of humanitys most frequent complaints and does not usually reflect any underlying disease. ... A headache is a condition of mild to severe pain in the head; sometimes upper back or neck pain may also be interpreted as a headache. ...

History

Chiropractic was founded by Daniel D. Palmer of Davenport, Iowa. In 1895, Palmer was investigating the medical history of Harvey Lillard, a deaf janitor. Lillard informed Palmer that while working in a cramped area seventeen years ago he felt a pop in his back and had been nearly deaf ever since. Upon examination, Palmer found what he described as a lump that was sore to the touch. He concluded that this lump was a misalignment, which was the possible cause of Lillard's deafness. After correcting this misalignment in the janitor's spine, Lillard's hearing was restored. Lillard was reported to note that he could now hear the wheels of the horse drawn carts in the street below. After further investigation, Palmer believed he had discovered that a major source of interference to the nervous system, the vertebral subluxation, interfered with the body's regulatory mechanism, causing what he termed "dis-ease" as in "loss of ease". Daniel David Palmer (March 7, 1845–October 20, 1913) was the founder of chiropractic medicine. ... Davenport is a city located in the U.S. state of Iowa. ... 1895 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Medical history can either refer to the History of medicine personal (case) medical history: anamnesis medical history of a family: Family history (medicine) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The word deaf, can have very different meanings based on the background of the person speaking or the context in which the word is used. ... The nervous system of an animal coordinates the activity of the muscles, monitors the organs, constructs and processes input from the senses, and initiates actions. ... In the jargon of chiropractic, vertebral subluxation is a condition in which a vertebra has lost its proper juxtaposition with an adjacent vertebra (to an extent less than a luxation) in such a way as to alter nerve function. ...

The term chiropractic originated when Palmer asked a patient to come up with a name from the Greek language to describe his practice. Of the several names submitted to him, Palmer accepted one which combined the words chiros and praktikos (meaning "done by hand") to describe his adjustment of a vertebrae in the spinal column. Palmer had been a beekeeper, school teacher, grocery store owner, and had an interest in the metaphysical health philosophies of his day such as magnetic healing, osteopathy, and spiritualism. The Greek language (Greek Ελληνικά, IPA – Hellenic) is an Indo-European language with a documented history of some 3,000 years. ... A diagram of a thoracic vertebra. ... The spinal cord is a part of the vertebrate nervous system that is enclosed in and protected by the vertebral column (it passes through the spinal canal). ... Beekeeping (or apiculture) is the maintenance of one or more hives of honeybees. ... In education, teachers are those who teach students or pupils, often a course of study or a practical skill. ... Supermarket produce section A supermarket is a store that sells a wide variety of goods including food and alcohol, medicine, clothes, and other household products that are consumed regularly. ... Metaphysics (Greek words meta = after/beyond and physics = nature) is a branch of philosophy, and related to the natural sciences, like physics, psychology and the biology of the brain; and also to mysticism, religion, and other spiritual subjects. ... Magnet therapy, or magnetic therapy, is a pseudoscientific form of alternative medicine based on the concept that certain medical disorders can be effectively treated by exposure to magnetic fields. ... Osteopathy is the body of medicine that originally used strictly manipulative techniques for correcting somatic abnormalities thought to cause disease and inhibit recovery. ... Spiritualism is a religion in which contact with the spirits of the dead through a medium is central. ...

Chiropractic subluxation

Palmer imbued the term "subluxation" with a metaphysical and philosophical meaning. He held that certain dislocations of bones interfere 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. He claimed that subluxations were interfering with the proper communication of this innate intelligence with the rest of the body, and that by fixing them, 95% of diseases could be treated. Metaphysics (Greek words meta = after/beyond and physics = nature) is a branch of philosophy, and related to the natural sciences, like physics, psychology and the biology of the brain; and also to mysticism, religion, and other spiritual subjects. ... Philosophy (from a combination of the Greek words philos meaning love and sophia meaning wisdom), as a practice, aims at some kind of understanding, knowledge or wisdom about fundamental matters such as reality, knowledge, meaning, value, being and truth. ... Grays illustration of a human femur, a typically recognized bone. ... Dodging lava flares. ... The term God is ordinarily used to designate a singular, universal Supreme Being. ... In the anatomy of animals, the brain, or encephalon, is the supervisory center of the nervous system. ...

In response, 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 affect the body's organs and general health." Events and trends Technology Explosive growth of the Internet; decrease in the cost of computers and other technology Reduction in size and cost of mobile phones leads to a massive surge in their popularity Year 2000 problem (commonly known as Y2K) Microsoft Windows operating system becomes virtually ubiquitous on IBM... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Reef. ...

In recent years a number of chiropractic associations have developed new definitions of "subluxation" that have no connection with Palmer's ideas, yet also are not the same as medical subluxations.

Usage

The use of manipulative therapy — not necessarily chiropractic — enjoys wide acceptance by medical authorities in many nations. It is covered by many health plans such as Medicare in the United States. Although some medical doctors (MDs) and many doctors of osteopathy (DOs) do perform manipulative therapy, more than 90% of the treatment of back pain by manipulative therapy is performed by DCs (Doctors of Chiropractic). [1] (http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/ahcpr/foreword.htm) The Medicare Program provides health insurance for the elderly and disabled in the USA. It was first passed on July 30, 1965 as a set of amendments to Social Security. ... The word physician should not be confused with physicist, which means a scientist in the area of physics. ... Osteopathy is the body of medicine that originally used strictly manipulative techniques for correcting somatic abnormalities thought to cause disease and inhibit recovery. ...

According to a survey released in 2004 by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, chiropractic was the fourth most commonly used complementary and alternative medicine therapy among adults in the United States (7.5%).[2] (http://nccam.nih.gov/news/2004/052704.htm) [3] (http://nccam.nih.gov/news/report.pdf) 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine or NCCAM, a division of the National Institutes of Health within the Department of Health and Human Services of the United States federal government, was established in October, 1991, as the Office of Alternative Medicine, which was re-established as the NCCAM... Alternative medicine is a broad term for any diagnostic method, method of treatment or therapy, and products whose theoretical bases and techniques diverge from generally accepted medical methods. ...

Chiropractic has gained general acceptance in the last forty years as an appropriate treatment for certain back and neck problems. This was partly a result of the prolonged litigation between the powerful American Medical Association and various chiropractors over the legitimacy of the field (see Wilk v. American Medical Association). The AMA is politically opposed to chiropractic as a healing discipline and disputes the concept of a subluxation. Wiktionary has a definition of: Back In anatomy, the back usually refers to the posterior side of the torso in humans and other primates. ... The neck is the part of the body on many limbed vertebrates that distinguishes the head from the torso or trunk. ... The American Medical Association (AMA) is the largest association of medical doctors in the United States. ... Main article: Chiropractic medicine Until 1983, the American Medical Association (AMA) had made it unethical for medical doctors to refer patients to chiropractors, by classifying chiropractice as unscientific. ...

According to Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, a meta-analysis of nine studies found spinal manipulation to be effective in improving uncomplicated, acute back pain. The studies found no benefit to treating chronic pain or sciatic nerve irritation. Back pain is one of humanitys most frequent complaints and does not usually reflect any underlying disease. ...

Requirements for credentials

The educational requirements for chiropractors in many Western countries are similar to that of medical doctors. The American Council on Chiropractic Education (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. Many states require a four-year undergraduate degree, although the minimum prerequisite for enrollment in a chiropractic college set forth by the CCE is ninety semester hours. The minimum cumulative grade point average for a student entering a chiropractic college is 2.50. Commonly required classes include communiction or language skills, psychology, social science or humanities, biology, organic and inorganic chemistry, and physics, as well as the common medical classes in anatomy or embryology, physiology, microbiology, diagnosis, neurology, x-ray, orthopedics, obstetrics, and gynecology. Interestingly, while chiropractic students in the United States need less clinical experience (residency) than medical students, they must complete more class hours. However the process of credentialing varies widely by country. The term jurisdiction has more than one sense. ... A grade in education can mean either a teachers evaluation of a students work or a students level of educational progress, usually one grade per year (often denoted by an ordinal number, such as the 3rd Grade or the 12th Grade). This article is about evaluation of... Language arts refers to the class of art forms, including novels, poetry,songs and others, that focus on the creation of art works which are primarily language based. ... Psychology (ancient Greek: psyche = soul and logos = word) is the study of mind, thought, and behaviour. ... Terms like SOSE (Studies of Society & the Environment) not only refer to social sciences but also studies of the environment. ... The humanities are a group of academic subjects united by a commitment to studying aspects of the human condition and a qualitative approach that generally prevents a single paradigm from coming to define any discipline. ... Biology is the science of life (from the Greek words bios = life and logos = reasoned account). ... Organic chemistry is the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and synthesis of organic compounds. ... Inorganic chemistry is the branch of chemistry concerned with the properties and reactions of inorganic compounds. ... -1... Physics (from the Greek, φυσικός (phusikos), natural, and φύσις (phusis), nature) is the science of nature in the broadest sense. ... Anatomical drawing of the human muscles from the Encyclopédie. ... Developmental biology or embryology (Greek εμβρυολογία) is the study of the process by which organisms grow and develop. ... Physiology (in Greek physis = nature and logos = word) is the study of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of living organisms. ... Microbiology (in Greek micron = small and biologia = studying life) is the study of microorganisms, including unicellular (single-celled) eukaryotes and prokaryotes, fungi, and viruses. ... Diagnosis (from the Greek words dia = by and gnosis = knowledge) is the process of identifying a disease by its signs, symptoms and results of various diagnostic procedures. ... Neurology is a branch of medicine dealing with disorders of the central and peripheral nervous systems. ... In the NATO phonetic alphabet, X-ray represents the letter X. An X-ray picture (radiograph) taken by Röntgen An X-ray is a form of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength approximately in the range of 5 pm to 10 nanometers (corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 PHz... Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics (BE: orthopaedics) is the branch of surgery concerned with acute, chronic, traumatic and recurrent injuries and other disorders of the locomotor system, its musclular and bone parts. ... Obstetrics (from the Latin obstare, to stand by) is the surgical specialty dealing with the care of a woman and her offspring during pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (the period shortly after birth). ... The shamefulness associated with the examination of female genitalia has long inhibited the science of gynaecology. ... Residency is a stage of postgraduate medical training in North America which leads to eligibility for board certification in a primary care or referral specialty. ... Credentialing is the administrative process for validating the qualifications of professionals and assessing their background. ... A country, a land, or a state, is a geographical area that connotes an independent political entity, with its own government, administration, laws, often a constitution, police, military, tax rules, and population, who are one anothers countrymen. ...

Political schools of chiropractic

Contemporary chiropractic is divided into two basic schools:

1. The traditional approach, followed by the faction of the chiropractive movement known as straight chiropractic [4] (http://www.straightchiropractic.com/).
2. Mixing chiropractic, which combines contemporary medical techniques with spinal and other joint manipulation. Mixing chiropractic is itself divided into conservative and liberal factions. [5] (http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/08/21/13.html)

A non-therapeutic primary portal of entry health care profession whose objective is to contribute to health through the correction of vertebral subluxation. ... In chiropractic medicine a mixer is a practitioner who uses additional techniques beyond the manipulation of the spine with the hands. ... This article is about a joint in zootomical anatomy. ... Conservatism or political conservatism is any of several historically related political philosophies or political ideologies. ... In politics, the term liberal refers to: an adherent of the ideology of liberalism —an ideology espousing liberty. ...

Medical risks of spinal manipulation

The major risks of spinal manipulation include vertebrobasilar accidents, disc hernations, vertebral fracture, spinal cord compression, and cauda equina syndrome, according to Harrison's. Most serious complications occur after cervical (neck) manipulation. A diagram of a thoracic vertebra. ... A fracture is the separation of a body into two, or more, pieces under the action of stress. ...

According to the National Council Against Health Fraud, the conviction held by chiropractic believers that every spine will benefit from an adjustment causes them to manipulate spines inappropriately. Among the concerns about chiropractic manipulation is the widespread use of the explosive "dynamic thrust" which takes the patient by surprise, as opposed to more conservative techniques. This maneuver has a greater potential for inflicting injury.

The practice of greatest concern is the rotary neck movement (sometimes called "Vaster cervical or "rotary break"). This type of manipulation has led to trauma, paralysis, strokes, and death among patents. Even chiropractic's legal advisors have warned against its use.

The overuse of x-ray by chiropractors poses potential patient harm. Of primary concern is the 24' x 36' full spine x-ray. This technique exposes patients to a substantial amount of radiation. Exposing the body trunk to x-rays can have serious long-range consequences and should be avoided. Further, according to NCAHF's chiropractic advisors, such radiographs have little or no diagnostic value.

Misuse of science reports

Some doctors who have submitted research backing up the medical benefits of limited forms of spinal maipulation have found their claims incorrectly applied to the entire field of chiropractic manipulation. Perhaps the most well-known case of this occurred in response to The RAND report on The Appropriateness of Spinal Manipulation for Lower-Back Pain. This study was a meta-analysis of 22 controlled experiments; the conclusion was that certain forms of spinal manipulation were successful in treating certain types of lower-back pain. Many chiropractors seized upon these results as proof that chiropractic theory was sound and that chiropractic medicine had reliable results; in fact, the authors of the report had said no such thing. Misuse of this report reached such an extent that the RAND report authors were forced to issue a public statement. In 1993 Dr. Paul Shekelle rebuked the chiropractic industry for making false claims about RAND's research: 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003) Events Media:January January 1 - Czechoslovakia divides. ...

"...we have become aware of numerous instances where our results have been seriously misrepresented by chiropractors writing for their local paper or writing letters to the editor....RAND's studies were about spinal manipulation, not chiropractic, and dealt with appropriateness, which is a measure of net benefit and harms. Comparative efficacy of chiropractic and other treatments was not explicitly dealt with."

Criticism of chiropractic claims

The National Council Against Health Fraud, an American private, non-profit health care organization issued a report in 1985 critical of chiropractic medicine. The National Council Against Health Fraud (NCAHF) is a voluntary private nonprofit health agency that focuses on health misinformation, fraud, and quackery related to public health problems. ...

Sixty-two clinical neurologists from across Canada, all certified members of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, have issued a warning to the Canadian public and provincial governments about the dangers of neck manipulation.[6] (http://www.chirobase.org/15News/neurol.html)

Mainstream medical doctors and scientists reject the claims of most chiropractic associations and schools as pseudoscience; many refer to their claims as fraud. Recently, however, a chiropracter from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, in Toronto, and two professors at Los Angeles College of Chiropractic also came to this position; they hold that all chiropractic organizations engage in and promote 'quackery". A pseudoscience is any body of knowledge purported to be scientific or supported by science but which fails to comply with the scientific method. ...

York University at one point attempted to affiliate with a chiropractic school. The scientists and medical doctors at this school rebelled against the plan, and created their own website explaining why this would be a bad idea. They enlisted the help of Nobel prize winning scientists to explain to the school's administration, and public at large, why chiropractice is unscientific.

There are many investigations and lawsuits underway in Canada for false advertising, deceptive practices and claims, injuries and deaths.

Reformers who reject classical chiropractic theory

A small percent of chiropracters have rejected the metaphysical beliefs of mainstream chiropracters. They view the beliefs of mainstream chiropractic medicine as metaphysical and religious, and having no scientific validity, and as a profession which may be danergous. In contrast, the hold that there are scientifically defensible uses of spinal manipulation for medical benefits. According to their website:

The National Association for Chiropractic Medicine (NACM) is a consumer advocacy association of chiropractors who confine their scope of practice to scientific parameters and seek to make legitimate the utilization of professional manipulative procedures in mainstream health care delivery. The NACM offers consumer assistance in finding member practitioners. The first and foremost requirement for membership in the NACM is that a Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine renounce the chiropractic hypothesis and/or philosophy; that is, the tenets upon which their scope of practice is based. The original chiropractic hypothesis, stated simply, is that "subluxation is the cause of dis-ease." Modern day chiropractic associations may have expanded and changed this simple statement for the public, but the reality is that this remains the backbone of chiropractic education and practice to this day. In clarification, the term "subluxation" has never been defined by the profession in a way as to have universal acceptance within the chiropractic profession. Chiropractic "subluxation" is not the same as medical subluxation, which represents a partial dislocation of joint structure and would be a contraindication to "adjusting" or "manipulating" the joint structures. Chiropractic "subluxation," not having universal definition, and, thereby, not having received universal scientific status of existence, has evolved into a metaphysical status. Further, the profession has neither defined nor outlined what disease or "dis-ease" that the correction of the "subluxation" might cure or affect. Because the hypothesis has found no validity in universally accepted, peer-reviewed, published scientific journals, belief in the hypothesis, then, is essentially a theosophy. Science has not found any organ system pathology which "adjustment" or "manipulation" of spinal joint structures has effect; that is, no disease or "dis-ease" process is affected. (Note that the bold-faced terms are in the original document.)

• The National Association for Chiropractic Medicine (http://www.chiromed.org/)