Many people with acute or chronic back pain experience relief of symptoms when the spine is loosened by manipulation performed by a chiropractor, an osteopath, a physical therapist, or an orthopedist. For this reason, many people who have back pain will visit a chiropractic office where they will experience spinal manipulation for the first time. Obviously, many people with back pain are going to chiropractors, and most of them are satisfied with the care they receive. But many are unaware of the controversy and the nonsense associated with some forms of chiropractic treatment and often become victims of misinformation. The Theory of Chiropractic It is now generally accepted that spinal manipulation can relieve some types of back pain.
Most chiropractors claim to do more than just treat back pain, however.
The chiropractic profession continues to define itself as a method of correcting subluxations to restore and maintain health, despite the fact that there are no scientific studies to indicate that vertebral misalignment or any other problem in the spine is a cause of disease or infection. Some chiropractors specialize in chiropractic pediatrics. An article in the April 2000 Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine warned that chiropractic pediatric care is often inconsistent with recommended medical guidelines. Limitations of Chiropractic Since chiropractors work on the back, most people think of the chiropractor as a back specialist. But when back-pain victims visit a chiropractic office, they may be given pamphlets suggesting that chiropractic treatment is also beneficial for asthma, infantile colic, ear infection, digestive disturbances, and a host of other organic or visceral problems.