Source The General Chiropractic Council
The General Chiropractic Council is the body charged with regulating and developing chiropractic in the United Kingdom. This guidance document is partly in response to the British Chiropractic Association’s litigation with science writer Simon Singh.
GUIDANCE ON CLAIMS MADE FOR THE CHIROPRACTIC VERTEBRAL SUBLUXATION COMPLEX
The chiropractic vertebral subluxation complex is an historical concept but it remains a theoretical model. It is not supported by any clinical research evidence that would allow claims to be made that it is the cause of disease or health concerns.
Chiropractors are reminded that
- they must make sure their own beliefs and values do not prejudice the patients’ care (GCC Code of Practice section A3)
- they must provide evidence based care, which is clinical practice that incorporates the best available evidence from research, the preferences of the patient and the expertise of practitioners, including the individual chiropractor her/himself (GCC Standard of Proficiency section A2.3 and the glossary)
- any advertised claims for chiropractic care must be based only on best research of the highest standard (GCC Guidance on Advertising issued March 2010)
May 2010
Prior to publishing the above document the GCC sought advice from the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic, The McTimoney College of Chiropractic and the Welsh Institute of Chiropractic. The advice to council was that: 1. The chiropractic vertebral subluxation complex is taught only as an historical concept. 2. There is no clinical research base to support the belief that it is the cause of disease or health concerns.
They don’t read the same journals that the rest of us do. We see the effects of subluxation everyday.
If chiropractors had the resources and money that Big Pharma had, I would bet any amount of money that the vertebral subluxation would be a proven phenomenon and a household word. Instead of trying to band together and prove what we do, those who occupy the seats of organizations like the GCC have chosen to take the easy way out so they can finally be accepted by the so-called “scientific medical establishment.” So we are left with a handful of researchers to try and prove what we do, when companies like Pfizer have 10,000 researchers at their disposal. Pretty big difference, don’t you think?