The few doctors of chiropractic in this country that were educated in CCE accredited schools are constantly being asked by Mexicans and Gringos alike, “Is it massage? Is it like accupressure? You crack the bones in the back right?” The purpose of this article is to give a brief overview of chiropractic as it is currently taught and accepted in USA, Canada, and Europe and hopefully to dispel any myths regarding its efficacy and safety.

The chiropractic profession is a little over 100 years old having been started by our founding father, Daniel David Palmer, in 1896 and further developed by his son, BJ Palmer in Davenport Iowa, USA. The practice of manipulating the spine, however, dates back to Hippocrates and pictures of doctors working with spines can be found in the ancient records of many cultures. The major difference between manipulating and adjusting the spine is specificity. While manipulation is usually a global torquing of the spinal column using long levers (arms, legs, torso), the chiropractic adjustment is a specific high velocity, low amplitude (fast but shallow) correction made to a single level of the vertebral column with the intent to restore lost motion in the articulations and remove interference from the central nervous system.

Chiropractic began and continues today with a sound philosophy based on simple anatomical facts.

• The central nervous system controls and coordinates every function of the human body via the spinal cord.
• The spinal cord travels through holes in all of the bones (24 vertebra and the sacrum) that make up the protective, movable shell we know as the spine.
• The delicate nerves that transmit information between the brain and the body in the form of electrical impulses exit the spine at every vertebral level, from the top of the neck to the tailbone.
• Any time that there is interference or “static” to the nervous system, the human body can not possibly function at 100% of its potential.

Chiropractic survived in its infancy solely because many patients identified with the logical, holistic concept that the power that made the body heals the body when there is no interference to the nervous system. For many patients who had tried every other form of health care our profession was their last resort. The annals of chiropractic abound with “miracle stories” of many types of infirmities (not just low back and neck pain) responding to chiropractic care. However, as the profession began to gain acceptance and patients sought reimbursement from insurance companies the demand for scientific research explaining and supporting chiropractic increased. This led to multitudes of trials, double blind studies, and anatomical explorations into the incredible complexity of the spinal articulations.

Today’s Doctor of Chiropractic typically holds a four year undergraduate degree plus three to four years of graduate school studying anatomy, physiology, pathology, biochemistry, histology, radiology, nutrition, the biomechanics of the human spine and extremities, rehabilitation of the muscles and articulations and, of course, the art of spinal adjusting.
When choosing your Doctor of Chiropractic be sure to ask to see their diploma (usually prominently displayed in the office) and get to know them on a personal level. By all means, ask questions about their philosophy and methods until you are comfortable and have established a level of trust. All good doctors (in any field) are first and foremost great teachers. I have found that a well educated patient who understands how their body works and the concepts behind chiropractic typically returns to health much faster than one who chooses not to take responsibility for their health.