What is Chiropractic?

Here's to the men and women of my own breed
Good or bitter bad as they might be
At least they hear the things I hear
And see the things I see.
-Kipling.

The word chiropractic is derived from two Greek words cheir and praktikis meaning "done by hand" or "to use the hands to practise or treat."  Chiropractic is about hands.  Hands used through direct contact with the human skin to bring about changes primarily affecting the soft tissues and the human frame.

Chiropractic finds its origins in the mists of time - Hippocrates and Galen, both famous doctors, used and advocated manipulation of the spine, thousands of years ago.  The bonesetters of Europe carried on the tradition through the Middle Ages but it was in 1895 that an American, Daniel Palmer, founded modern chiropractic. The chiropractic adjustment is a highly specific manipulation of a joint, primarily of the spine but, increasingly, of all joints of the body.

There are now over 90 000 chiropractors in more than 70 countries.  There is a minimum of six years' tertiary level education, starting with the same basic sciences as in medicine.  Most chiropractors use the title Doctor of Chiropractic or D.C., approved by law in the countries where chiropractic is recognized and regulated. Many hospitals now have chiropractors on their staff and integrated practices are common.

"Labeled an unscientific cult by organized medicine as little as 20 years ago, chiropractic is now recognized as the principal source of one of the few treatments recommended by national evidence-based guidelines for the treatment of low-back pain, namely spinal manipulation.  In the areas of training, practice and research, chiropractic has emerged from the periphery of the health care system and is playing an increasingly important role in discussions of health care policy." (Research Report, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1997)

You will hear Chiropractors using the word subluxation.  It is an important word in chiropractic philosophy but means differing things to different people.  In medicine it means actual derangement of a joint, seen usually on x-ray. Simply put to a chiropractor, a subluxation means a process of abnormal movement in a joint, initially too little movement called a fixation and later, as the joint begins to degenerate, excessive movement as aging of the disc and joint capsules allows increased movement.  Finally, with progressive degenerative changes in the joints, the joints become stabilized, often resulting in less pain and less disability in older age. Subluxations will frequently affect the spinal nerves resulting in various disorders depending on the nerve affected.  Adjusting these subluxations aims to restore the neuro-biomechanical harmony of the body.

Chiropractors emphasize the importance of good muscle tone to maintain that harmony and use a wide variety of techniques to rehabilitate the muscles of the body, along with the joints they serve. There is a growing recognition of the importance of ergonomics in maintaining excellent spinal health, and preventing injuries.

A formal definition:

Chiropractic is a health care discipline that emphasizes the inherent recuperative power of the body to heal itself without the use of drugs or surgery.  The practice of chiropractic focuses on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system) and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health.  In addition, doctors of chiropractic recognize the value and responsibility of working in cooperation with other health care practitioners in the best interests of the patient.

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