Introduction
Chiropractic (In Greek: done by hand) is a drug and surgery free alternative model of health care dealing with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the disorders of the musculoskeletal system and their impact on nervous system and the general health (1). It was brought in by DD Palmer in 1895 as an alternative to potentially toxic drug therapy with the belief that the diseases are often due to the subluxation of the vertebra causing interruption to the nervous impulses and the correction of subluxation will free body for healing (2). This belief is still central to the chiropractic today (2). Chiropractors usually use manual techniques such as joint or spine adjustment and/or manipulation with the special attention on joint …show more content…
A study of colicky infants in 2012 claimed that the chiropractic care was effective in reducing crying time by 48% compared to that only 18% reduction in untreated infants. Nevertheless, the study was funded by International Chiropractic Association and hence, it is questionable whether there was any researcher bias into the research and skewed the results (9). Similarly, a recent systematic review published in 2016, concluded that the crying time for babies with colic was less in chiropractic than Lactobacillus pro-biotic treatment recipients (10). However, there are also claims against chiropractic for organic conditions due to its contradiction against current orthodox theories (11). Moreover, a study in 2015 attempted to support the effectiveness of chiropractic treatment in children. The report proposed spinal manipulation as an effective treatment against growing pain in children of aged between 4 and 12 years old. But the study used very small sample size and the control group showed significant improvement in pain relief (p-value 0.121) just by simple leg rubs (12).
Similarly, a 2015 literature review of 12 articles tried to support the safety of using chiropractic care by claiming that they could not find any direct link to death using chiropractic treatment …show more content…
The literatures published supporting chiropractic care are criticized for being mostly either anecdotal studies or non-randomized trials or funded or published by the organizations with the primary role of promoting chiropractic medicine which diminishes the rationality of those findings (9, 10, 11, 12, 13). On the other hand, most studies published to oppose chiropractic are better researched, independent and peer reviewed (5, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18). Also, bearing in mind the validity of the chiropractic vertebral subluxation theory, it is sensible to query the aptitude of chiropractors to make a true diagnosis and offer a correct treatment for childhood illnesses (14, 19). With no evidence to support that spinal manipulation of a child would correct vertebral subluxations and considering the potential damage to the cartilaginous growth centres from manipulation, there is no justification to use chiropractic manipulation healing in children (7, 14). Instead, this can delay the process of appropriate treatment based on correct diagnosis and may cost more to health care system. Moreover, it would be a major challenge to educate general public to be more critical on choosing credible treatment method due to rising popularity of alternative medicine. Another major issue would be to provide a
Chiropractic (In Greek: done by hand) is a drug and surgery free alternative model of health care dealing with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the disorders of the musculoskeletal system and their impact on nervous system and the general health (1). It was brought in by DD Palmer in 1895 as an alternative to potentially toxic drug therapy with the belief that the diseases are often due to the subluxation of the vertebra causing interruption to the nervous impulses and the correction of subluxation will free body for healing (2). This belief is still central to the chiropractic today (2). Chiropractors usually use manual techniques such as joint or spine adjustment and/or manipulation with the special attention on joint …show more content…
A study of colicky infants in 2012 claimed that the chiropractic care was effective in reducing crying time by 48% compared to that only 18% reduction in untreated infants. Nevertheless, the study was funded by International Chiropractic Association and hence, it is questionable whether there was any researcher bias into the research and skewed the results (9). Similarly, a recent systematic review published in 2016, concluded that the crying time for babies with colic was less in chiropractic than Lactobacillus pro-biotic treatment recipients (10). However, there are also claims against chiropractic for organic conditions due to its contradiction against current orthodox theories (11). Moreover, a study in 2015 attempted to support the effectiveness of chiropractic treatment in children. The report proposed spinal manipulation as an effective treatment against growing pain in children of aged between 4 and 12 years old. But the study used very small sample size and the control group showed significant improvement in pain relief (p-value 0.121) just by simple leg rubs (12).
Similarly, a 2015 literature review of 12 articles tried to support the safety of using chiropractic care by claiming that they could not find any direct link to death using chiropractic treatment …show more content…
The literatures published supporting chiropractic care are criticized for being mostly either anecdotal studies or non-randomized trials or funded or published by the organizations with the primary role of promoting chiropractic medicine which diminishes the rationality of those findings (9, 10, 11, 12, 13). On the other hand, most studies published to oppose chiropractic are better researched, independent and peer reviewed (5, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18). Also, bearing in mind the validity of the chiropractic vertebral subluxation theory, it is sensible to query the aptitude of chiropractors to make a true diagnosis and offer a correct treatment for childhood illnesses (14, 19). With no evidence to support that spinal manipulation of a child would correct vertebral subluxations and considering the potential damage to the cartilaginous growth centres from manipulation, there is no justification to use chiropractic manipulation healing in children (7, 14). Instead, this can delay the process of appropriate treatment based on correct diagnosis and may cost more to health care system. Moreover, it would be a major challenge to educate general public to be more critical on choosing credible treatment method due to rising popularity of alternative medicine. Another major issue would be to provide a