Alternative Medicine
Chiropractic is the third largest
doctoral-level health profession in the United
States, after medicine and
dentistry. This form of health care is on the rise
and there are more than
forty thousand chiropractors in practice in all fifty
states, the District of
Columbia, and many other nations. Chiropractic is a form
of alternative
medicine commonly used and accepted today. Chiropractic is
specifically
defined as a therapeutic system of curing ailments and manipulation
of
various body parts, particularly the spinal column. Although
chiropractors
have had a hard time establishing a worthy reputation, times
have changed and
studies are proving the benefits of chiropractic. In order
for people to receive
natural, holistic, efficient, and cost-effective
treatment, people should seek
doctors of chiropractic. (Thesis: "In order
for...") Chiropractic was
first started by David Daniel Palmer in 1895.
Palmer began his practices in
magnetic healing in response to his
"never-ending thirst for
knowledge" in 1887 (Chiropractic OnLine Today). When
he moved to Davenport,
Iowa, Palmer began chiropractic with his first
adjustment on a janitor on
September 18, 1895. The janitor had been deaf
for seventeen years after hearing
a pop in his back one day. Palmer concluded
that one of his vertebrae was out of
place and so he "thrusted the vertebrae
back into place" and the
man’s hearing automatically improved (Chiropractic
OnLine Today). This was the
birth of the chiropractic theory, which means "to
do by hand." Palmer
believed that "decreased nerve flow may be the cause of
disease, and that
misplaced spinal vertebrae may cause pressure on the
nerves" (Chiropractic
OnLine Today). In conclusion, he theorized, if the
spinal column was accurately
positioned, the body would be healthy. Palmer
began a chiropractic school,
Palmer Infirmary and Chiropractic Institute,
in 1907. His son, Bartlett Joshua,
was one of the first fifteen graduated.
Later in his life, Bartlett also had a
large impact on the chiropractic field
when his dad ran into some legal
problems. Palmer’s son took over the school
and helped chiropractic to gain
prominence in the medical field. Following
its founding, chiropractic went
downhill and then in the 1940’s began to grow
again. In July 1995, the first
Historical Centennial Celebration took
place in Washington, DC with thousands of
professional in the field
attending. (Background) Chiropractic is holistic and
concerned with a
patient’s overall well-being. Chiropractic treatment
considers the whole
person and "gives special treatment to the
physiological and biochemical
aspects including structural, spinal,
musculoskeletal, neurological,
vascular, nutritional, emotional, and
environmental relationships"(American
Chiropractic Association). Many
people initially think of consulting a
chiropractor for back pain only, but
there are many other components of
chiropractic treatment and has the ability to
help many illnesses and
problems. Because the spine is like the trunk of the
body, it can have impact
on all areas of the human structure. The many moveable
parts of the spine
make it a complex system. In addition to the twenty-four
vertebrae, there are
joints between each vertebra. In such a system, "in
order to maintain
balance, each one these joints must be moving entirely and
properly" (Bayuk).
If just one component is out of line, the imbalance
disturbs the nervous
system, called subluxation. Chiropractic helps the body
keep control of
itself through manipulation of the spinal column. While the
spine helps
control the muscles of the body, it also includes the body’s
ability to
breathe properly, keep the heart beating, and other vital functions.
The
spine column has many nerves that control the blood flow through
blood
vessels, proper digestion, and the immune system. Just because
chiropractors
focus on the spinal column, does not limit their field of
treatment. In
actuality, this very fact is what allows chiropractic to help
such a broad range
of problems and conditions. For example, a 1991 study at
National College of
Chiropractic renders very promising news for women
suffering from tortuous
menstruation. This FCER-funded study found that
"women who received
chiropractic spinal manipulation reported significant
reduction in back pain and
menstrual distress"(Joseph, Chiropractic Works).
Along with menstruation,
headaches, allergies, asthma, stomach disorders,
spastic colon, and arm, hand,
and leg pain are treatable by chiropractors.
(Evidence #1) Chiropractic, in
addition to holistic, is efficient and
cost-effective. Until recently,
chiropractic was ignored by most others, but
new studies are confirming claims
of efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Now
chiropractic is receiving much more
notice. While research is convincing the
community of the effectiveness of cost
and capability of treatment of the
chiropractic method, thousands of people,
worldwide, are finding restored
mobility and alleviation from pain in their
doctor of chiropractic. Results
of a Florida study indicated chiropractic
patients experienced shorter
periods of total disability, and their cost of care
was less in comparison to
patients of medical doctors. Another Utah study
reported that chiropractic
care was "ten times less expensive than standard
medical care in compensation
pay-outs" ( Joseph, Chiropractic Works). In
addition, a report in the Western
Journal of Medicine found that "patients
of chiropractors were three times
more satisfied with their care than patients
of family practice physicians" (
Joseph, Chiropractic Works). Health care
options are becoming more diverse
and it is evident that chiropractic will be a
choice for many. (Evidence #2)
Another benefit of chiropractic is that it is
natural. This is one of the
primary characteristics that distinguishes
chiropractic doctors from medical
doctors. Chiropractic does not use drugs or
surgery. The body heals and
maintains itself. It is the chiropractor's job to
make sure that the body is
in balance and capable of doing its job on its own.
Chiropractic uses a
form of treatment called vertebral adjustment or spinal
manipulation. An
adjustment is a procedure in which a chiropractor skillfully
applies pressure
to a region of the spine that is out of alignment. It is often
done by hand
and helps lessen pain and inflammation. Chiropractors also perform
soft
tissue manipulation through muscle massages and ultrasound
stimulation,
physical examinations, X rays, counseling on lifestyle and
nutrition, and
counseling on exercises for building flexibility, strength,
and overall
well-being. However, chiropractors refer patients to another
health care
provider if the patient’s condition or disease would be better
treated through
other medical approaches. In most cases, chiropractors do not
treat conditions
of cancer, internal injuries, lacerations and cuts,
fractures of bones and
chronic ailments such as diabetes. Patients with these
prognoses are referred to
a medical doctor by the chiropractor. (Evidence #3)
"Is a chiropractor
really a doctor? Absolutely!" (Joseph, Chiropractic Myth
Busters). For a
long time, millions of Americans rejected chiropractic
treatment because they
were thought to be quacks by many medical doctors.
But, now that studies are
supporting chiropractic treatment, people are
beginning to comprehend that these
doctors, just like medical doctors, take a
strict course of study to receive a
degree of Doctor of Chiropractic. After
students completing high school, at
least two years of college and four to
five years of chiropractic college must
be completed. Students take basic
science courses as well as clinical science
courses. In addition to school, a
clinical internship is required. Upon
graduation, a chiropractor is not
permitted to practice just yet. First he or
she must pass a licensing exam
administered by the state or the National Board
of Chiropractic Examiners, or
both. Most boards rely on a three-part examination
to test basic sciences,
clinical sciences, and clinical competency. A fourth
part has newly been
introduced to evaluate practical skills. Chiropractors are
licensed in all
fifty states and the District of Columbia. There is no reason
one should be
concerned or stressed about the credentials of a chiropractor. To
verify a
doctor’s professional credentials, one can call the state’s
Chiropractic
Board of Examiners to validate if a particular chiropractor is
licensed and
up to date with continuing education conditions. A concerned
patient can also
ask if there is any record of disciplinary actions. The
prerequisites to
become a chiropractic doctor prepare the doctors well and are
extremely
difficult. It takes a well educated, hard worker, and disciplined
individual
to accomplish such intense requirements. Students graduated and in
practice
are sufficiently trained to treat the body in a natural, holistic,
efficient,
and cost-effective manner. (Refutation and concluding
statement)
Bibliography
American Chiropractic Association. 1999.
*http://amerchiro.org/about_chiro/benefits.htm*.
Bayuk, Andrew, D.C.
"What is Chiropractic?" 1989.
*http://pages.prodigy.com/chiropractic/whatis.htm*.
Chiropractic OnLine
Today. "Chiropractic Centennial Celebration."
2000.
*http://www.chiro-online.com/*. Joseph, Louis, D.C. "Chiropractic
Works."
November 1999. *http://www.hands-on-healing.com/chirowrk.htm*.
Joseph,
Louis, D.C. "Chiropractic Myth Busters." November
1999.
*http://www.hands-on-healing.com/chirmyth.htm*.