Chiropractic

A health care profession concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders of

the neuromusculoskeletal system and the effects of these disorders on general health.

There is an emphasis on manual techniques, including joint adjustment and/or manipulation,

with a particular focus on subluxations.

Chiropractic is one of the most popularly used forms of manual therapy.

It is now practised worldwide and regulated by law in some 40 national jurisdictions

As a health care service, chiropractic offers a conservative management approach and,

although it requires skilled practitioners,

it does not always need auxiliary staff and therefore generates minimal add-on costs.  Therefore, one of the benefits of chiropractic may be that it offers potential for cost‐effective

management of neuromusculo-skeletal disorders.

The World Health Organization (WHO) encourages and supports countries

in the proper use of safe and effective medication,

products and practices in national health services. In the light of the situation described above,

there is a need to develop  guidelines  on  chiropractic  education  and  safe  practice,

including  information  on  contraindications for such care.

With  the  rapid  growth  in  demand  for  chiropractic  services,

other  health care  practitioners may wish to gain additional qualifications in chiropractic.

Conversion  programmes have been developed to enable persons with substantial basic medical

training  to  acquire  the  additional  necessary  education  and  skills  to  become  chiropractors,

and  these  could  be  further  expanded.  Such programmes should be flexible in order to take account of

different educational backgrounds and previous medical training.

Historical information

Although  spinal  manipulation  dates  back  to  Hippocrates  and  the  ancient  Greek  physicians, the discovery of chiropractic is attributed to D.D. Palmer in 1895,  with the first school for the training of chiropractors commencing in the United States  of America in Davenport,

Iowa in 1897.Palmer  developed  the  chiropractic  theory  and  method  from  a  variety of   sources,  including medical manipulation, bonesetting and osteopathy, as well as incorporating  unique aspects of his own design.

The term “chiropractic”, derived from Greek roots to  mean  “done  by  hand”,

originated  with  Palmer  and  was  coined  by  a  patient,  the  Reverend Samuel H. Weed.

Chiropractic developed in the United States of America during a period of significant

reformation in medical training and practice.

At the time, there was a great variety of treatment options, both within conventional

medicine and among innumerable other alternative health care approaches.

Philosophy and basic theories of chiropractic

Chiropractic is a health care profession concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of

disorders of the neuromusculoskeletal system and the effects of these disorders on general health.

There is an emphasis on manual techniques, including joint adjustment and/or manipulation,

with a particular focus on the subluxation.

The  concepts  and  principles  that  distinguish  and  differentiate  the  philosophy

of  chiropractic from  other  health  care  professions  are  of major significance  to  most  chiropractors and strongly influence their attitude and approach towards health care.

A majority of practitioners within the profession would maintain that the philosophy

of chiropractic includes, but is not limited to,concepts of holism, vitalism,

naturalism, conservatism, critical rationalism, humanism and ethics.