The practice of chiropractic involves the diagnosis, treatment and prevention
of disorders in the neuro-musculo-skeletal system, particularly conditions
involving the spinal column.
The term chiropractic is derived from two Greek words and denotes treatment
by hand or manipulation.
Chiropractic is the western world's 3rd largest primary healthcare after
allopathic medicine and dentistry.
A Chiropractor takes a case history and assesses by posture and movement
analysis, palpation (feeling), orthopaedic and neurological examination.
If indicated, x-rays may be taken or you may be referred to your GP for
further testing.
Manipulation is the main mode of treatment, but other techniques as soft
tissue work, exercises, postural and ergonomic advice, stretching, ultrasound
etc. are also frequently used. Manipulation aims to correct any loss of
function, mobility or alignment within the spine and other joints of the
body.
How does it work?
Chiropractic treatment aims to restore normal mobility of joints and reduce
muscle spasm, thereby relieving pain. All organs and cells require nerve
information to function correctly, and much nerve information is passed
through the spinal cord, which is protected within the spinal column.
Restoring proper function of the spinal column is therefore of great importance
and may have a widespread effect.
Qualifications
Chiropractic education is standardized at minimum five years at university
level followed by a one year internship. All chiropractors practicing
in the UK must be registered with the GCC (General Chiropractic Council)
and either the BCA (British Chiropractic Association) or SCA (Scottish
Chiropractic Association).
Safety
Chiropractic spinal adjustments are extremely safe when . by chiropractors.
In fact, chiropractic adjustments are among the safest treatments for
most back and neck problems. According to a 1993 Ontario Ministry of Health
commissioned study:
"There is no clinical or case-control study that demonstrates or
even implies that chiropractic spinal manipulation is unsafe in the treatment
of low-back pain. Some medical treatments are equally safe, but others
are unsafe and generate iatrogenic (doctor-induced) complications for
low-back pain patients. Our reading of the literature suggests that chiropractic
manipulation is safer than medical management of low-back pain."
Lead investigator of the study, Pran Manga, Ph.D., however, did warn that
spinal adjustments performed by health care professionals other than qualified
doctors of chiropractic were potentially harmful and less effective:
"Indeed, several existing medical therapies of low-back pain are
generally contraindicated on the basis of the existing clinical trials.
There is also some evidence in the literature to suggest that spinal manipulations
are less safe and less effective when performed by nonchiropractic professionals."
On December 8, 1994, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR)
of the US Department of Health and Human Services released clinical practice
guidelines for the management of acute low back pain. Their guidelines
were developed after extensive study of the diagnostic and treatment methods
used for acute low back pain. Their findings included:
The risk of serious complications from lumbar spinal
manipulation is rare
Conservative treatment such as spinal manipulation
should be pursued in most cases before considering surgical intervention
Prescription drugs such as oral steroids, antidepressant
medications are not recommended for acute low back problems.
