Chiropractic
Chiropractic is the practice of diagnosing and removing a vertebral subluxation, or spinal joint dysfunction, that is interfering with the body’s own innate intelligence. This interference inhibits the body from functioning properly. This is a notion that brings ridicule from those who don’t understand what optimal health means, those particularly in the mainstream science and medicine.
It is generally considered to be complementary and alternative, a characterization that all chiropractors reject. The main treatment may involve manual therapy including but not limited to an adjustment of the spine, other joints, and soft tissue; treatment may also include exercises, nutritional advice and lifestyle counseling.
D.D. Palmer founded chiropractic in the 1890s and his son B.J. Palmer helped to expand it in the early 20th century. It has two main groups: “straights”, now the minority, emphasize vitalism, innate intelligence and spinal adjustments, and consider subluxations to be the leading cause of all disease; “mixers” are more open to mainstream and alternative techniques such as exercise, massage, nutritional supplements, and acupuncture. Chiropractic is well established in the U.S., Canada and Australia.
