Chiropractic

Chiropractic

Alternative medicine
A chiropractor performing a vertebral adjustment
Claims	Vertebral subluxation, spinal adjustment, Innate Intelligence
Risks	Vertebral artery dissection (stroke), compression fracture, death
Related fields	Osteopathy, vitalism
Original proponents	D. D. Palmer
Subsequent proponents	B. J. Palmer
MeSH	D002684

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Chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine^[1] concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially of the spine.^[2] It has esoteric origins^[3] and is based on several pseudoscientific ideas.^[4]

Many chiropractors, especially those in the field's early history, have proposed that mechanical disorders of the joints, especially of the spine, affect general health,^[2] and that regular manipulation of the spine (spinal adjustment) 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.^[5] 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.).^[6][7] While many chiropractors view themselves as primary care providers,^[8][9] chiropractic clinical training does not meet the requirements for that designation.^[2]

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.^[8] A 2011 critical evaluation of 45 systematic reviews concluded that the data included in the study "fail[ed] to demonstrate convincingly that spinal manipulation is an effective intervention for any condition."^[10] Spinal manipulation may be cost-effective for sub-acute or chronic low back pain, but the results for acute low back pain were insufficient.^[11] No compelling evidence exists to indicate that maintenance chiropractic care adequately prevents symptoms or diseases.^[12]

There is not sufficient data to establish the safety of chiropractic manipulations.^[13] It is frequently associated with mild to moderate adverse effects, with serious or fatal complications in rare cases.^[14] There is controversy regarding the degree of risk of vertebral artery dissection, which can lead to stroke and death, from cervical manipulation.^[15] Several deaths have been associated with this technique^[14] and it has been suggested that the relationship is causative,^[16][17] a claim which is disputed by many chiropractors.^[17]

Chiropractic is well established in the United States, Canada, and Australia.^[18] It overlaps with other manual-therapy professions such as osteopathy and physical therapy.^[19] Most who seek chiropractic care do so for low back pain.^[20] Back and neck pain are considered the specialties of chiropractic, but many chiropractors treat ailments other than musculoskeletal issues.^[8] Chiropractic has two main groups: "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, such as exercise, massage, and ice therapy.^[21]

D. D. Palmer founded chiropractic in the 1890s,^[22] after saying he received it from "the other world";^[23] Palmer maintained that the tenets of chiropractic were passed along to him by a doctor who had died 50 years previously.^[24] His son B. J. Palmer helped to expand chiropractic in the early 20th century.^[22] Throughout its history, chiropractic has been controversial.^[25][26] Its foundation is at odds with evidence-based medicine, and has been sustained by pseudoscientific ideas such as vertebral subluxation and Innate Intelligence.^[27] Despite the overwhelming evidence that vaccination is an effective public health intervention, among chiropractors there are significant disagreements over the subject,^[28] which has led to negative impacts on both public vaccination and mainstream acceptance of chiropractic.^[29] The American Medical Association called chiropractic an "unscientific cult" in 1966^[30] and boycotted it until losing an antitrust case in 1987.^[9] Chiropractic has had a strong political base and sustained demand for services. In the last decades of the twentieth century, it gained more legitimacy and greater acceptance among conventional physicians and health plans in the United States.^[9] During the COVID-19 pandemic, chiropractic professional associations advised chiropractors to adhere to CDC, WHO, and local health department guidance.^[31][32] Despite these recommendations, a small but vocal and influential number of chiropractors spread vaccine misinformation.^[33]