What is Chiropractic?
What is Chiropractic?
What makes chiropractic the world’s most evidence-based healthcare profession in the area of spinal health, spine-related functional ability, and spine-related quality of life is the unique focus on the importance of, and the relationship among, segmental spinal motion, alignment, neurology, spinal health, and overall health.
What makes chiropractors' so uniquely qualified as safe and effective practitioners are their years of scientific education and clinical training regarding the identification and correction of areas of segmental spinal dysfunction (vertebral subluxation complex) and related neurological and biomechanical functional losses as well as the importance of overall spinal health, lifestyle, and general wellness and prevention
A loss of spinal function can manifest in many ways, such as common musculoskeletal problems including:
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Lower Back Pain
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Loss of range of motion
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Poor posture
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Back or neck pain
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Headaches
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Peripheral (limb) problems such as carpal tunnel, rotator cuff dysfunction, hip, knee and ankle pain
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Loss of functional ability – a decreased ability to perform tasks of daily living, engage in recreational and social activities.
According to the scientific literature and every independent judicial and/or formal government inquiry ever conducted (New Zealand, Australia, Canada, U.S.A., U.K., Sweden), no other profession is as qualified, as well trained, as evidence-based, or as safe when it comes to restoring and maintaining spinal health, spine-related functional ability, and spine-related quality of life.
“By the end of the Inquiry, we found ourselves irresistibly and with complete unanimity, drawn to the conclusion that modern chiropractic is a soundly-based and valuable branch of health care in a specialised area neglected by the medical profession.”
(Chiropractic in New Zealand. (1979) Report of New Zealand Government Commission on Chiropractic.)
“On the evidence, particularly the most scientifically valid clinical studies, spinal manipulation (chiropractic adjustment) applied by chiropractors is shown to be more effective than alternative treatments for low back pain.”
“Many medical therapies are of questionable validity or are clearly inadequate. Our reading of the literature suggests that chiropractic manipulation is safer than medical management of low back pain.” “There is also some evidence in the literature to suggest that spinal manipulations are less safe and less effective when performed by non-chiropractic professionals.” (Professor Pran Manga Ph.D. University of Ottawa. The Manga Report. (1993) An Independent Report Commissioned by the Ontario Provincial Government in Canada)
“For patients with common or mechanical back pain and neck pain/headache there is now a change from extensive diagnostic testing, rest, medication for pain control and surgical intervention based on structural pathology as in traditional medical practice, to exercise, manual treatments, early mobilization of patients and education about the spine and lifestyle, based on functional pathology as in traditional chiropractic practice. This management approach is not only effective but highly cost-effective.” (Chapman-Smith, David LL.B.
The Chiropractic Report. (2008) The Chiropractic Profession: Basic Facts, Independent Evaluations, Common Questions Answered. Vol 22 (5) pp1-8)
“The chiropractic profession is assuming its valuable and appropriate role in the health care system in this country and around the world. As this happens, the professional battles of the past will fade, and the patient, at last, will be the true winner.”
(Wayne Jonas, MD, Director (1995-1998), National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, US National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD)
“Systematic access to managed chiropractic care not only may prove to be clinically beneficial but also may reduce overall health care costs.” “The increasing acceptance of chiropractic care as a source of comprehensive complementary care for neuromusculoskeletal problems is reflected in that the chiropractic field is the fastest growing among all doctoral-level health professions.”
(Legorreta et al. (2004) Comparative Analysis of Individuals With and Without Chiropractic Coverage. Archives of Internal Medicine 164 (18))
“In addition, people who were mostly treated by chiropractors had, on average, less expensive medical services and shorter initial periods of disability than cases treated by physiotherapists and medical physicians. This clear trend deserves some attention considering that chiropractors are the only group of providers who explicitly state that they have an effective treatment approach to maintain health.”
(Cifuentes et al. (2011) Health Maintenance Care in Work-Related Low Back Pain and its Association With Disability Recurrence. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine pp 190-198)
“Three perceived problems – the education of chiropractors, including the ability to diagnose; the lack of scientific evidence of effectiveness of chiropractic manipulation; and potential danger from manipulation, especially cervical manipulation – were answered and dismissed as unfounded.”(Chapman-Smith, David LL.B.
The Chiropractic Report. (2008) The Chiropractic Profession: Basic Facts, Independent Evaluations, Common Questions Answered. Vol 22 (5) pp1-8)