- "Chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially of the spine."
Chiropractic care involves the adjustment of the spine and joints in order to promote proper alignment and prevent injuries.
Anatomy: Understanding the structure and function of the human body is crucial in chiropractic care.
Physiology: Knowing how the body works and responds to stimuli is crucial in helping to prevent injuries and promote healing.
Biomechanics: Understanding how movement affects the body and how to correct imbalances or subluxations through adjustments.
Neurology: Understanding how the nervous system works and how it interacts with the musculoskeletal system is essential in chiropractic care.
Pathology: Knowledge of various diseases, injuries, and disorders affecting the body that can be treated with chiropractic care.
Radiology: Understanding how to interpret X-rays and other imaging techniques to diagnose problems in the spine and other areas.
Sports medicine: Techniques and principles utilized in sports medicine can also be useful for injury prevention and rehabilitation in chiropractic care.
Nutrition: Understanding the role of proper nutrition in overall health, injury prevention, and rehabilitation.
Rehabilitation exercises: Learning how to prescribe and perform exercises that can help with flexibility, strength, and recovery.
Communication skills: Chiropractors must be skilled in communicating with patients in a way that they can understand the diagnosis, treatment options, and goals of care.
Ethics: Understanding professional and ethical standards of the chiropractic profession.
Business management: Learning how to manage a chiropractic practice including marketing, finance, and legal aspects.
Massage therapy: Incorporating massage therapy techniques into chiropractic care for enhanced healing and relaxation.
Acupuncture: Incorporating acupuncture for pain relief and other purposes in conjunction with chiropractic care.
Homeopathy: Understanding and incorporating homeopathic remedies and practices in chiropractic care.
Yoga and meditation: Understanding and incorporating the benefits of yoga and meditation for stress reduction, relaxation, and healing.
Energy medicine: Incorporating energy medicine practices in chiropractic care such as Reiki, healing touch, and other modalities.
Counseling: Incorporating counseling and psychological techniques to address emotional factors that may contribute to pain and injuries.
Rehabilitation devices: Understanding the use of various rehabilitation devices such as braces, supports, and other equipment.
Lifestyle changes: Promoting healthy lifestyle habits such as good posture, sleep, and stress management to prevent injuries and promote healing.
- "It has esoteric origins and is based on several pseudoscientific ideas."
- "Many chiropractors... have proposed that mechanical disorders of the joints, especially of the spine, affect general health, and that regular manipulation of the spine improves general health."
- "The main chiropractic treatment technique involves manual therapy, especially manipulation of the spine, other joints, and soft tissues, but may also include exercises and health and lifestyle counseling."
- "A chiropractor may have a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) degree and be referred to as 'doctor' but is not a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)."
- "Systematic reviews of controlled clinical studies of treatments used by chiropractors have found no evidence that chiropractic manipulation is effective, with the possible exception of treatment for back pain."
- "Spinal manipulation may be cost-effective for sub-acute or chronic low back pain, but the results for acute low back pain were insufficient."
- "No compelling evidence exists to indicate that maintenance chiropractic care adequately prevents symptoms or diseases."
- "There is controversy regarding the degree of risk of vertebral artery dissection, which can lead to stroke and death, from cervical manipulation."
- "Chiropractic is well established in the United States, Canada, and Australia."
- "Most who seek chiropractic care do so for low back pain."
- "Back and neck pain are considered the specialties of chiropractic, but many chiropractors treat ailments other than musculoskeletal issues."
- "Chiropractic has two main groups: 'straights'... and 'mixers'."
- "'Straights', now the minority, emphasize vitalism, 'Innate Intelligence', and consider vertebral subluxations to be the cause of all disease; and 'mixers', the majority, are more open to mainstream views and conventional medical techniques."
- "D. D. Palmer founded chiropractic in the 1890s."
- "Throughout its history, chiropractic has been controversial. Its foundation is at odds with evidence-based medicine, and has been sustained by pseudoscientific ideas such as vertebral subluxation and Innate Intelligence."
- "Among chiropractors, there are significant disagreements over the subject, which has led to negative impacts on both public vaccination and mainstream acceptance of chiropractic."
- "The American Medical Association called chiropractic an 'unscientific cult' in 1966 and boycotted it until losing an antitrust case in 1987."
- "Chiropractic gained more legitimacy and greater acceptance among conventional physicians and health plans in the United States."
- "During the COVID-19 pandemic, chiropractic professional associations advised chiropractors to adhere to CDC, WHO, and local health department guidance."