As chiropractors we should be concerned with subluxation and spinal adjustments as well as any other health issue which affects our patients. Dear Editor, I cannot let Dr. Rand Baird's comments in Dynamic Chiropractic go unchallenged. I think Dr. Baird, and any other interested DC, should be involved in the debate of public health issues. These issues affect the health of our patients and families, as well as our ability to be effective clinicians. Dr. Baird's MPH degree is exemplary, and I applaud his intellectual pursuits, but rather than discouraging chiropractic participation in public health matters, he should be vigorously encouraging it.
Chiropractors are primary health care practitioners.
This fact demands a broader knowledge and responsibility beyond the basic application of spinal manipulation. I would prefer to examine not the number of positive vs. negative reports on this issue, but rather the content and implications of the reports as a guide to taking a position. Dr. Baird is, I believe, sincere about his position. Simply put, research shows the decline of infectious disease with the advent of vastly improved hygiene, sanitation and nutrition. That is, cleaning up the filth, providing potable water, reducing overcrowding, access to better and more varied food, and other such measures.