Is Chiropractic Complementary, Alternative, or Mainstream?
SOURCE: University of Minnesota
I just ran across this remarkable page about chiropractic, located (of all places) on the University of Minnesota website. I hope you will find this of interest:
Is Chiropractic Complementary, Alternative, or Mainstream?
Chiropractic may seem mainstream because of physician referrals and the frequent role of chiropractic in interdisciplinary teams in settings such as rehabilitation centers. Furthermore, visits to a chiropractor are commonly reimbursed by most health insurance plans.
But chiropractic is still considered a complementary and alternative form of healthcare because it is not regulated by medical practice statutes. Chiropractic is not currently taught in public universities along with medical or nursing schools and does not include pharmaceuticals or surgery in its care of patients.
How is it complementary?
Today chiropractic most often shares a complementary role with conventional medicine. Many people seek chiropractic care based on referral from informed health professionals who understand the unique skills and perspective of the chiropractor in caring for perplexing problems.
Doctors of Chiropractic (DC) may also be members of an interdisciplinary team. Interdisciplinary practices are now becoming more common in a variety of settings, with chiropractors, medical doctors, physical therapists and others working as partners in occupational health, sports medicine teams, and rehabilitation centers.
In this role, chiropractors may provide the primary intervention of manual therapy to normalize joint function in patients recovering from injuries, or they may work cooperatively, for example by providing manual therapy and nutritional guidance for patients undergoing chemotherapy.
How is it alternative?
The roots of chiropractic are distinctly alternative to the conventional allopathic system of medicine. Chiropractic has a unique philosophy that stresses the body’s innate intelligence and focuses on preventive care as a means to sustained health and quality of life.
Recent cooperation with academic medicine has been troubling to some within the chiropractic profession, suspicious of the growing cooperation with medicine in practice and research. Purists embrace the founding principle of hands-only care and reject modified approaches. Most chiropractors in practice today, however, appreciate the important roles of multiple modes of care for patients.
So chiropractic fits all the labels in some respects! It seems “mainstream” because it is one of the most commonly used “complementary” therapies and is regularly reimbursed by insurance.
On the other hand, it retains its own unique philosophy of care and the central role of the chiropractic adjustment in its regimen of care. Thus, chiropractic remains both a complementary practice and an alternative healthcare system.
References:
Chapman-Smith, D. A. (2000).
The chiropractic profession: Its education, practice, research and future directions.
West Des Moines, IA: NCMIC Group Inc.
Expert Contributor: Larry Kuusisto, PhD, DC
this happens to be my philosophy regarding the place of chiropractic in some health care. to me it can be complementary or an alternative to other health care strategies. this may not seem to be an important issue to some but i feel this an important issue when explaining chiropractic care to potential patients. i’ve had patients that are under the care of a medical physician while receiving chiropractic care. i’ve also had patients reduce/stop/change their care of a condition to change strictly to chiropractic care thus being an alternative.
Chiropractic is becoming more acceptable to the public. We see referrals from medical doctors on a weekly basis in our office. When the public finds out what Chiropractic can do for them and how it can restore their health most are pleased with the results.