I find it all very interesting how many of you seem to believe that the problems of chiropractic lie at its roots or original beliefs. The foundations for chiropractic are based on some of the most self evident truths of this universe. Universal intelligence clearly exists. Whether you believe in buddah, jesus, muhammed or the sun god, there is obviously a higher power. Whether its a person, spirit, ghost, nature... whatever u call it, it exists. An organized force of some kind which created and/or runs this universe. Nobody can argue that the world came from nothing and therefore palmers concept of universal intelligence is simply undeniable. Furthermore, innate intelligence, the intelligence which is inborn and is constantly functioning at all levels and at all times is as real as gravity. At any given moment, your body is controlling, maintaining, interpreting and creating millions and millions of processes. The vast majority of which we are not consciously aware. You do not know how many times your heart should beat, or how much saliva to produce or what neurotransmitters to create at any given second, only innate knows. Innate intelligence has been crafted through billions of years of evolution and its knowledge is simply unchallengable. The other chiropractic cornerstone is that the the nervous system controls everything in the body. This theory was discovered and understood by the Palmer's at a time when medical doctors were still practicing blood letting and awful horrendous medical treatments with virtually no healing value. Today, more and more research continues to prove that the nervous system does indeed control virtually every single action in the body. Chiropractic holds that even the slightest alteration in nervous integrity can alter a message or messages from the brain and spinal chord to the rest of the body. No doctor, physician or phd would ever dispute this fact. In fact most physicians agree that any nervous system interference can have extremely damaging effects. The only fact thats in dispute is weather or not subluxations actually encroach on the nervous system. There may never be a diagnostic tool which is sensitive enough to detect the slight change in tone to even one axon, which is all that it may take, in the spinal common caused by misaligned or hypomobile spinal joints. Is it true that most back and neck pain do not include the compromise of neural integrity? probably.... but chiropractic adjustments obviously help either way. Whether its musculo-skeletal or neuro-musculo-skeletal chiropractic can and does help. Chiropractors by the way, hands down, no questions asked... far and away,,, have way more training in manipulation then physical therapists, osteopaths and physiatrists combined! This is not opinion, that is simple fact. Its not even a close second. A simple review of their respective curriculums illustrates this undeniable fact.
Now.... all of that having been said. The issues with chiropractic practice, such as inconstancy of care, the subjective nature of identifying subluxations and the different belief systems amongst individuals in the profession do indeed exist. But for all of you who doubt the unbelievable genius of D.D. and I believe more so B.J. Palmer, it is a true shame, because they really helped bring a concept of health and disease into this world which was way ahead of its time. One look at even one page in even one of the volumes of the green books is astounding. I would venture to guess that many of you making these comments, even the chiropractors, unfortunately haven't had the opportunity to read the insightful thoughts and words of the Palmer's.
What chiropractors can do is use there very thorough training in locating hypomobile, misaligned or disfunctional areas of the axial and appendicular skeleton and manually adjust them so as to restore mobility and function. These detectable areas of disfunction may only contain a musculo-skeletal component but it MAY just MAY contain a neuro-musculo-skeletal component. And if it does, then chiropractic can help perform astounding miracles. The argument that placebo accounts for the benefits of chiropractic it is mostly nonsense. While I can certainly understand that the hands on contact and adjusting of joints can help facilitate a placebo effect in some patients, this says nothing to discredit the other very real benefits of chiropractic adjustments. When B.J. palmer used to see the miracles that he did, his patients had already seen every other type of doctor there was. They came to him often after having lost all hope. Having explored every option. If the placebo effect occurred with these people why did it not occur with every other treatment, potion, lotion etc... How is it that only chiropractic helped these patients heal and return to health when nothing else could. Also, for all of you ex-chiropractors out there who continually post the argument that subluxations could not possibly cause organic, visceral disfunction... you are in essence stating that Palmer's entire discovery of chiropractic did'nt't happen. That first adjustment to Harvy Lillard which restored his hearing and gave birth to the wonderful profession of chiropractic. If this did not occur, why else would D.D. and then B.J. Palmer be so astounded as to devote there entire lifes to furthering the cause of chiropractic.
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