Chiropractic
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[edit] Definition
Chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine which claims to treat medical conditions caused by spinal dysfunctions, which chiropractors term subluxations. They aren't always the same as orthopedic subluxations.
The term 'chiropractic' - originating from the Greek and meaning "Done by Hand" - was coined by Rev. Samuel Weed, a patient of the profession's founder, Daniel David Palmer, who believed that 95% of illnesses were caused by subluxations.
[edit] Discussion
Chiropractic ranges from rational treatment to outright quackery, and is often considered by skeptics to be the flagship of so-Called "Alternative" Medicine (sCAM) and quackery.
Today, chiropractic is typically used to treat musculoskeletal problems. However, many chiropractors assert that chiropractic subluxations cause pressure on nerves, resulting in problems in internal organs regulated by the nerves.
In analysing chiropractic, it is important to distinguish between Spinal Manipulative Therapy (SMT) and chiropractic "adjustments", which are manipulations performed by chiropractors for the purpose of correcting chiropractic "subluxations", which are not the same as orthopedic subluxations.
Spinal Manipulative Therapy is an accepted medical practice, performed outside of the chiropractic profession. Many patients believe that their only available access to SMT is through a chiropractic practitioner, but many Physical Therapists and some MDs are trained to provide it. It all depends on the state or country. SMT is useful for treating musculoskeletal problems.
The other key element of chiropractic - detecting subluxations - is a subjective art. There is no objective way to identify chiropractic "subluxations", which are claimed to exist even in the absence of symptoms. Tests have shown that the techniques used are not repeatable. In contrast, an orthopedic subluxation is objectively verifiable and is symptomatic. It isn't always amenable to SMT.
Undercover investigation of chiropractic practitioners [1] has repeatedly encountered inconsistent and incorrect diagnosis, and failure to refer serious conditions to an appropriate physician (MD).
Chiropractic is closely associated with pseudoscientific diagnostic methods, and pseudomedical treatments. To skeptics, chiropractic cannot be judged alone by its use of SMT. It must also be judged by its association with quackery and pseudoscience. Thus any possible justification for the use of SMT does not automatically justify "chiropractic".
