How do you define “scientific?” If you define it as the systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment and then testing the resulting hypotheses, then today’s chiropractic is quite scientific. Because it’s based on the scientific fact that the nervous system controls and regulates virtually every cell, tissue, organ and system of the body. Don’t be misled by the “low-tech” nature of chiropractic adjustments!...

The fact is, educational requirements for today’s chiropractor are among the most stringent of any of the health care professions. Several decades ago the education that chiropractors received was purposely narrow. Without the interest in prescribing medicines or performing surgery, chiropractic education focused on anatomy, the philosophy of natural healing, the wisdom of the body and adjusting techniques. Today’s chiropractor receives a much broader education. In fact, it’s quite comparable...

Your notion of a “real” doctor probably conforms to a prototype generated by the mass media. Many have come to think of a doctor as someone who prescribes advice and drugs or performs surgery. Sporting a white lab coat or surgical scrubs with a stethoscope at the neck, doctors are seen as all-knowing, omnipotent and able to save patients in 60 minutes, less commercials. A medical doctor (MD) and a chiropractor (DC) while different, have both received a degree from a government accredited...

The argument about safety concerns is an example of “junk science” and a perennial favorite by those who have an interest in discouraging people from seeking chiropractic care. Because of the popularity of this tactic, year after year it has been the subject of countless research projects. The result of these studies show complications from neck adjustments, the supposedly “riskiest” chiropractic procedure, are exceedingly rare: 1972 – One death in several tens of million adjustments.1 1978 –...

We’ve all heard the joke, “How many chiropractors does it take to change a light bulb? Only one but it takes 100 visits.” Funny. Ha-ha. The fact is, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. Many folks choose to continue their chiropractic care on some type of periodic basis for the rest of their lives. Others choose to see us from time to time for episodes of neck or back pain. It’s your choice. However, this concern is prompted by two common questions: “Will I get addicted to...

This is the “Let sleeping dogs lie” approach to health care! I feel fine. Why do I need to see a doctor? That’s the problem with the lifestyle-induced health problems facing our culture. They quietly fester in the background, slowly worsening, often without any obvious symptom. Arterial plaque builds up. Blood pressure rises. Certain foods now cause heartburn. Every morning you get out of bed a little bit slower and stiffer. You hardly notice the incremental change. Ironically, these are often...

Most medical doctors are unfamiliar with chiropractic and the principles by which it works. Many are still operating under the policy perpetuated by the illegal boycott of chiropractors by the American Medical Association in the United States and the Australian Medical Association in Australia. On September 25, 1987, a United States Federal judge ruled that the AMA had violated Section 1 of the Sherman Act, and that it had engaged in an unlawful conspiracy in restraint of trade “to contain and...

Why would a child have a spine and nervous system problem? Traumatic births. Learning to walk. Slips. Falls. The list is endless. Yet, because children have such an adaptive capacity, these problems are often brushed off as “growing pains” or just a “phase they’re going through.” “As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.” Many patients report that chiropractic care has been helpful for colic, ear infections, erratic sleeping habits, bedwetting, scoliosis, “growing pains” and many other common...

You don’t need a referral or permission from anyone to see a chiropractor. However, if you expect financial assistance from certain insurance plans, some policies dictate that certain approval steps be taken before commencing care. Sometimes these are granted freely and sometimes it’s virtually impossible. Be careful that you don’t allow your health to be compromised by the profit motives of an insurance company or the petty bias or jealousy of a gatekeeper who doesn’t understand chiropractic!...

Some dismiss the results our patients receive as merely the placebo effect. These cynics virtually ignore the mind/body connection that most forward-thinking health care experts are finally acknowledging. A placebo (from the Latin ‘I will please’) is often a sugar pill or some type of sham treatment designed to invoke the beliefs of the patient, and in the case of double blind studies, even the beliefs of the doctor. Some studies show that placebos can be 30% to 40% effective. Should the...