Is Chiropractic A Sham?

Is Chiropractic A Sham?

Joshua Levine
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did you say insurance? You've heard claims that chiropractic therapy can work miracles and conversely that the whole discipline is nothing but a sham. A veritable paradox, chiropractic is covered by many health insurance plans, while still denounced by some scientific circles as nothing more than charlatanism.

Is the discipline really so controversial? Many professionals have defended it, so making sense of what side of the fence to fall on can be a bit confusing and it may hurt your back.

what is chiropractic?

When Daniel D. Palmer founded the discipline in 1895, chiropractic mainly based its theory around spinal positioning. Its fundamental principle claimed that many of our illnesses are caused by misalignment — subluxations of the bones and joints — which can be cured by simply putting them back in place.

Today, chiropractic has its own colleges, is a fully accredited program and has sprouted into different areas. Two schools of practice have emerged: "straight" chiropractic, which only focuses on spinal adjustment, and "mixers," which add vitamins and other treatments to their repertoire.

Chiropractic therapy focuses on readjusting spinal mobility by manipulating vertebras and joints without surgery or the use of drugs. Its cohorts — chiropractors — use consultation, case history, physical examination, laboratory analysis, and X-ray studies to determine what treatment best suits a patient. In a sense, chiropractors use the same first steps as conventional doctors do.

Once the problem has been identified, a chiropractor may adjust the ailing body part with a quick, lever arm thrust, or use electrical stimulation and massages. Joint manipulation is considered a virtual art form among chiropractors. There are many kinds of adjustments, each requiring a special brand of know-how.

As you might have guessed, chiropractic therapy mainly treats lower back pain, but is also widely used to treat neck pain, headaches, and many other parts of the body such as the knees, jaw and shoulders.

why some think it's a sham

Charlatan roots?
Even though chiropractic has a history dating back to 1895, the discipline started off on the wrong foot. Daniel D. Palmer, founder of the discipline, was initially a magnetic healer, in Davenport, Iowa. Even though magnetic healing could be an effective type of treatment, it nevertheless left many scientists skeptical as to the roots of chiropractic. Some wonder how it could be viable if a magnetic healer founded the field.

Too good to be true?
One of the main reasons some conventional scientists today consider chiropractic therapy a sham might be due to the fact that chiropractors have spread their craft too thinly. Not only do they claim it can cure the aforementioned ailments, but also things like colds, PMS, asthma, infantile colic, and other non-joint or spinal related problems.

Some even credit it for miracle-type cures, which may or may not be attributed to chiropractic. By associating too many therapeutic aspects to chiropractic, certain scientists lumped the discipline with treatments like pyramid healing and magic plates, which they also claim cure just about any ailment.

How chiropractic therapy can help you...

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