", 10 May 2006 (UTC)

I'm not sure one can draw exact parallels between ""mechanistic"" (non-subluxation based) and ""Vitalistic"" (subluxation-based) chiropractors, although it would generally be true. While some mechanistic chiros may choose to limit their practice, they can still be Vitalists. OTOH, Vitalism is an integral part of the belief in vertebral subluxations (VS). It all depends on how you choose to define Vitalism. In a general sense, all healthcare practitioners know that the body has inherent abilities to heal itself. This has never been unique to chiropractic and predates it. Vitalism in its religious/metaphysical sense also predates chiropractic and Palmer, but is the basis for Palmer's development of the concepts of Universal Intelligence (UI) and Innate Intelligence (II). I can conceive of some subluxation-based chiropractors not being conscious and informed believers in UI, IOW they are actually mechanistic subluxation-based chiros. (Even some professed atheists can believe in some sort of supernatural entity......;-)) They will tend to confuse VS for orthopedic subluxations, considering them to be the same. Truly informed and practicing Vitalistic subluxation-based chiros (the Planet chiro and F.A.C.E. type) are normally members of the ICA or WCA, and understand the difference, and that is that VS has a metaphysical element that is the unique property of chiropractic. Without this principle difference, chiropractic loses its uniqueness. When it comes down to it, belief in VS is the most fundamental difference between chiropractors, and influences many other things about the way they think and practice.

Here is something about chiropractic and Vitalism:

The debate over whether life is controlled by spiritual or material forces peaked in the nineteenth century. By this time, scientists endorsing ""spiritual"" control began to refer to themselves as ""vitalists."" Vitalism, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is the doctrine that the processes of life are not explainable by the laws of physics and chemistry alone and that life is in some part self-determining. Vitalists contended that some vital factor, as distinct from physiochemical factors, was involved with ""controlling"" the body's structure and function. Since the definition of vitalism emphasizes that its character is beyond the laws of physics (measurement), vitalistic mechanisms were outside of the defined parameters of modern science. In spite of its metaphysical nature, vitalism was still endorsed by many traditional nineteenth century scientists. 

The support for vitalism was soundly shaken in 1859 when Charles Darwin published his Origin of Species. In his treatise on evolution theory, Darwin emphasized that internalized ""hereditary factors"" (the existence of genes had not yet been recognized) were responsible for controlling the character of evolving species. Within a decade of its presentation, Darwinian theory was endorsed by the majority of conventional scientists. Darwin's theory of evolution denied the role of spirit or life force in the unfoldment of life on this planet. Consequently, scientists myopically focused on the search for the internalized material elements that ""controlled"" biological organisms. 

D. D. Palmer was very sensitive to scientists' displeasure concerning concepts related to spirit and vital forces. In formulating the original science of Chiropractic, he coined the terms Universal Intelligence and Innate Intelligence to refer to the inherent organizing intelligence of the Universe and of life. 

""In the early years of Chiropractic I used the terms Innate (Spirit), Innate Intelligence (Spiritual Intellect), Universal Intelligence (God) because they were comprehensive, and the world was not prepared to receive the latter terms just mentioned in parentheses. It may be even now premature to use them."" (page 542, The Science, Art and Philosophy of Chiropractic).

Since vitalism is at the heart of chiropractic philosophy, and vitalism is perceived as metaphysics, the philosophy of chiropractic is not recognized by conventional medical science. Though modern medicine consider chiropractic as ""unscientific,"" it has not been able to ignore the large number of their patients that have been increasingly satisfied with chiropractic care. The success of Chiropractic in recent years has fueled the antagonism between conventional medical physicians and chiropractors. Biomedical research scientists are at a loss to explain the efficacy of chiropractic adjustment for it is in direct opposition to contemporary knowledge concerning biological ""control"" mechanisms.  Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D., Today's Chiropractic, Sept-Oct 1998: 16-19 

Another interesting quote:N