Chiropractic Care Spinal Manipulation – Detection and Correction of Spinal Subluxations Jill Shafer, October 24, 2010 HW – EF310 – Unit 5 Project

Introduction to Chiropractic Care Chiropractic Care is the process of correcting spinal subluxations. Subluxations are misalignments or dislocations of the spine. These misalignments can cause messages from the brain to be abnormal where nerve flow is disrupted. The results can be many types of illnesses and the degeneration of bones. In this class we will discuss the following points. An introduction to Chiropractic Care and the recent popularity of this alternative care A brief history of Chiropractic care The importance of preventive health care in the chiropractic world Research methods, chiropractic schools, accreditation What to expect from a visit to a Chiropractic Doctor Fitness and Nutrition Studies and success stories Reference: Micozzi, M. (2006). Fundamentals of Complimentary and Integrative Medicine. St. Louis, Missouri. Saunders Elsevier Publishers.

Recent Popularity of Chiropractic Care The surge of chronic illnesses and use of medicine to treat them has spawned a movement of wellness. Chiropractic care seeks to “evaluate individual symptoms in a broad context of health and body balance, not as isolated aberrations to be suppressed.” (Micozzi, 2006). Approximately 30 million patients per year in the United States Third largest independent health profession in the Western World Focus is on healing without surgery There are approximately 65,000 Chiropractors in the U.S. Recent popularity of preventing sickness has spiked more chiropractic care Reference: Micozzi, M. (2006). Fundamentals of Complimentary and Integrative Medicine. St. Louis, Missouri. Saunders Elsevier Publishers.

Brief History of Chiropractic Care Hippocrates used chiropractic care to “cure a whole variety of dysfunctions” (Leach, as cited in Micozzi, 2006). Galen, who was of Greek descent; set a standard for chiropractic care. His chiropractic standards continued on for 1500 years. His “healing traditions were preserved in the learning centers of the Middle East by the ascendant Arabic civilization” (Micozzi, 2006). Chiropractic care was used to treat workers from the wine vineyards during the sixteenth century by Ambroise Pare’. For centuries, chiropractic care has been used as a “bone setting” method. During the last part of the nineteenth century, chiropractic care and other natural methods were highly practiced. David Daniel Parker founded the chiropractic profession in Controversy surrounded the profession for many years and has survived attacks from the mainstream medical profession. Over time, knowledge has revealed how energy is transmitted, how it can be blocked and how organs are affected by chiropractic care. With more knowledge and scientific studies, chiropractic care has become a more popular treatment and a way of preventing disease and illness.

Chiropractic as Preventive Care Many chiropractic offices now incorporate stress reduction education, nutrition education, wellness coaching and fitness education as part of their chiropractic care Chiropractic care is focused on “sustainable balance” (Micozzi, 2006). Chiropractic care is often used as “a regimen designed to provide for the patient's continued well-being or for maintaining the optimum state of health while minimizing recurrences of the clinical status” (Chiro.org, 2010). Some individuals use chiropractors to maintain their good health and other people may only use them intermittently for treatment of problems. References: Micozzi, M. (2006). Fundamentals of Complimentary and Integrative Medicine. St. Louis, Missouri. Saunders Elsevier Publishers. Chiro.org (2010). Wellness and Chiropractic. Retrieved October 24, 2010 from: Center for Spirituality and Healing. Chiropractic. Retrieved October 24, 2010 from:

Research, Schools, Accreditation Challenges in research Controls and placebo interventions are difficult to measure. One study used children with asthma using active manipulation and simulated manipulation. Both groups did receive some relief. The results showed “no benefit” (Micozzi, 2006). It was determined that both groups of children did benefit from both. This study did not rule out the fact that chiropractic treatment was ineffective, only that the other simulated manipulation (massage, stretching, impulses and pressures) were also effective in relieving some of their symptoms. In a second study patients in the active control group received soft- tissue therapy and spinal manipulation. The second group received low power laser therapy to the neck along with soft tissue therapy. Both groups had “significantly fewer headaches” (Micozzi, 2006) and reduced their need for analgesic medicine. Reference: Micozzi, M. (2006). Fundamentals of Complimentary and Integrative Medicine. St. Louis, Missouri. Saunders Elsevier Publishers.

Research, Schools, Accreditation Challenges in research The challenge in chiropractic research is determining what defines a control or placebo intervention and compiling and analyzing data collected from research. In the two studies mentioned above, the data concluded that manual manipulation did relieve symptoms. Challenges in many complimentary therapies such as chiropractic care include the human element and this always presents difficulty since it is the human who reports whether his/her symptoms have been relieved. Reference: Micozzi, M. (2006). Fundamentals of Complimentary and Integrative Medicine. St. Louis, Missouri. Saunders Elsevier Publishers.

Research, Schools, Accreditation Education – Accreditation The Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE). This Agency is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education. This agency is responsible for accreditation of institutions and programs offering a degree in the Doctor of Chiropractic. There are 15 Doctor of Chiropractic programs in the U.S. Before being accepted to a program, students must fulfill the requirements needed to enter “medical or osteopathic schools” (Micozzi, 2006). References: Micozzi, M. (2006). Fundamentals of Complimentary and Integrative Medicine. St. Louis, Missouri. Saunders Elsevier Publishers. The Council on Chiropractic Education. (2010). Promoting Excellence and Assuring Quality in Chiropractic Education. Retrieved October 24, 2010 from:

The Typical Chiropractic Visit The first visit will typically include your health history and a physical examination. Sometimes, x-rays will be performed on the spine. Based upon information received and x-rays, the Doctor will determine if chiropractic care is necessary. A treatment protocol will be given and can include exercise, rehabilitation, heat and ice, electrical stimulation, rest and sometimes; dietary supplements will be recommended. Often, a treatment plan will include a regular visit each week depending on the patient and whether his/her condition is severe or not. Reference: NCCAM. (2010). What to expect from Chiropractic Visits. Retrieved October 24, 2010 from:

Fitness, Nutrition and Wellness The American Chiropractic Association seeks to encourage and promote education on nutrition in the practice of chiropractic. Many chiropractic treatment plans include educating their patients on healthy eating, physical exercise and staying well along with the chiropractic care they are receiving. Reference: The American Chiropractic Association. (2010). Heatlhy Eating. Retrieved October 24, 2010 from:

Case Studies and Success Stories Case study: Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 2009 (Nov); 15 (4): 192–7. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 2009 (Nov); 15 (4): 192–7 Woman was pregnant with migraines. Medicine, massage therapy, osteopathy and physical therapy was unsuccessful in treating her migraines since age 12. A series of high velocity, low amplitude thrusts and the activator instrument were used along with a large amount of water intake, massage therapy and trigger point therapy. Her verbal pain rating went from 8-9/10 to 2/10 on the pain scale. Case study: Clinical Chiropractic 2008 (Sep); 11 (3): 122–129 Clinical Chiropractic 2008 (Sep); 11 (3): 122–129 Forty-three infants with colic; less than 8 weeks old were used for this study. Each of them cried for 3 hours a day for at least 4 days of the previous seven days. This trial was a single blinded, randomized, and comparison trial. Twenty-two infants received spinal- manipulative therapy. Twenty-one infants received occipito-sacral decompression. The results of the study showed the infants who received spinal therapy had an 87% improvement. The infants in the occipito-scaral study showed a 67% improvement. Reference: Chiro.org. (2010). Case Reports. Retrieved October 24, 2010 from;

Case Studies and Success Stories Case study: This study involved an individual who had reported eye pain and left leg pain moving into the foot. He also reported high stress, gastritis, ulcers, nervousness, depression, lack of interest in life and lack of concentration. After 6 months of chiropractic treatments involving specific spinal manipulations, the individual reported a 100% improvement in health. As a note of interest, the individual adopted a much healthier lifestyle during and after his treatment which included smoking cessation, diet changes and other healthy behaviors. Not only was he pain free, he also had an improvement in digestion, nervousness, depression and other reported issues before treatment began. Reference: Chiropracticresearch.org. (2010). Life Changed Under Chiropractic, Case Study. Retrieved October 24, 2010 from: