Professional Papers Chiropractic of Today Editor's note: The following statement was pre­ All systematic endeavors to restore and main­ pared in 1966 by five distinguished educators in tain health constitute the healing arts. Their main the chiropractic profession with the intent of con­ branches in this country are medicine, osteopathy, cisely setting forth the basic tenets of chiropractic and chiropractic. as a healing art, a clinical science, a concept of therapeutics, an educational discipline, and an A few decades ago the terms "healing art" and organized profession as they view it. Certainly this "medicine" were synonymous. With the advent of paper merits careful study by every member of the the age of chemistry and the importance given to profession. The authors welcome any comments the germ theory, a large segment of the healing regarding the contents of this statement. Corres­ profession concentrated more and more upon pondence should be addressed directly to one or chemotherapy, forgetting the heritage of manipula­ more of the authors. tion dating from the time of Hippocrates, and los­ ing sight of the structural concept in health and By: HELMUT BITTNER, D. C. disease, thus separating itself into what today is 118 Eastwood Circle called "medicine". As a result it remained for Spartanburg South Carolina 39302 early osteopathy and, subsequently, chiropractic, with its unique methods of structural analysis and WILLIAM D. HARPER, D. c. adjusting, to revive the lost art and place it on a Texas Chiropractic College 5912 Spencer Highway scientific basis. Pasadena, Texas 77505 Chiropractic, in contrast with medicine and the A. EARL HOMEWOOD, D. C. osteopathy of today, does not employ drugs or sur­ Los Angeles Chiropractic College gery. In its approach it endeavors to establish and 920 E. Broadway Glendale, California 91205 maintain optimal physiological activity by correct­ ing abnormal structural relationships. Its goal is JosEPH JANSE, D. C. to organize the body in such a manner as to enable National College of Chiropractic it to utilize its own biological resources for a return 200 East Roosevelt Road Lombard, Illinois 60148 to normal function. Its focal point of concern is with the integrity of the nervous system, because C. w. WEIANT, D. c. the nervous system integrates and coordinates all 809 Terrace Place Peekskill, New York 10566 function in the body in response to internal and external environmental change. Any mechanical, THE ACA JOURNAL OF CHIROPRACTIC, NOVEMBER 1973 Vol. VII, s-Bl chemical, and/or psychological irritation of the early, strictly empirical phases. One recalls, for neurological component is capable of producing example, the futile efforts in the medical profession dysfunction and thus initiating disease in the sus­ during the early days of bacteriology to discover a ceptible individual. bacterial cause for almost all disease. The vast Traditionally, chiropractic is associated with the catalogue of discarded drugs is another example of detection and correction of disrelated segments of the unavoidable resort to empiricism. Currently, the skeletal system, especially those of the spinal one may point to the propensity among the general column and pelvis. The successful application of practitioners of medicine to prescribe antibiotics such procedure by Daniel David Palmer constitut­ routinely and indiscriminately and to employ the ed the discovery of chiropractic. As the profession corticosteroids without fully understanding the evolved, it became increasingly evident that dis­ nature of their action and their iatrogenic threat. related structures, particularly subluxated verte­ It is, therefore, understandable that in the early brae, are a prime source of disturbance to the period of chiropractic, overly enthusiastic claims neurological bed and constitute a threat to health were made and naive, far-flung hypotheses were not to be ignored. Further study and clinical ex­ propounded which in the light of new facts have perience demonstrates that the spinal factor itself had to be modified or discarded. Another typical has its origin in the complexities of gravitational occurrence in those days was the predilection for and occupational strain, structural asymmetries, loosely applied terminology and poorly understood and reflex action initiated by noxious stimuli in expressions. Many misconceptions stem from the both the internal and the external environment. emphasis given to one meaning of a word, to the The practitioner of chiropractic advises and pre­ neglect of others more often used and generally scribes relative to such habits and environmental accepted. Perhaps the most conspicuous examples factors as may tend to generate these adverse were the confounding of "philosophy" with prin­ influences. ciple, and "principle" with theory, and the coining The chiropractor is concerned with the integrity of new words for conventional meaning. At this of the entire body, the spinal column remaining his point it should be emphasized that to achieve primary interest. His armamentarium may include maximum clarity in defining the position of chiro­ measures other than manual adjustment, provided practic today, we shall avoid in the following dis­ that these are drugless and nonsurgical in char­ cussions the pitfalls to which we have called atten­ acter. tion, by committing ourselves to the usage of the term theory to apply to the explanation of chiro­ Retrospect practic. In view of the fact that the profession of chiro­ Moreover, in our formulation of theory, we shall practic is now seventy years old; has benefited mil­ be governed by the requirements of science. We lions of ailing people throughout the world; and are fnlly aware that in all human attempts to re­ ranks second numerically in the healing arts, it is store and maintain health there are intangible appropriate that its development be reviewed and factors which defy scientific investigation and ex­ critically evaluated. planation, but until this obstacle has been over­ Its inception dates from the initial experiment come (and it may well be that it will never be in 1895 of Daniel David Palmer of Davenport, overcome), we must leave these matters to philoso­ Iowa, who ingeniously saw a relationship between phy. vertebral subluxation and ensuing pathology. His However, chiropractic is also a true science in subsequent provocative announcements attracted its own right in that it utilizes in the most meticu­ widespread attention. Among the many who lous way the scientific achievements provided by sought instruction in this new therapeutic approach all relevant sciences to explain the phenomena of were numerous medical and osteopathic practi­ health and disease. It also uses a scientific method­ tioners. ology to pursue further investigation in this field. It was ouly natural, as is the case in all new pro­ Chiropractic As Science fessional efforts, that the pioneers of chiropractic had to seek their way by trial and error. Lacking The question may now be asked, what is science the guideposts of precedent and an adequate body and when is an effort scientific? Traditionally, of scientific data, they had to forge new procedures science has been regarded as classified or system­ and grope for satisfying interpretations of the as­ atized knowledge. The intent of science is the yet-unexplained phenomenon of their clinical suc­ acquisition of truth. Science would question both cess. Consequently, there was the tendency both to theory and dogma when left empirical. It deals I. oversimplify the rationale and to miss the fnll bio­ with facts and propositions verifiable by standard­ logical implications of the measures employed. ized objective evidence. These trends have their parallels in the history of In a broader sense, however, science is more than the other schools of healing, especially during their classified knowledge. It is an attitude of objective Vol. VII, 8-82 THE ACA JOURNAL OF CHIROPRACTIC, NOVEMBER 1973 inquiry, a method of investigation, and a process of to discover the unique manipulative measure most reasoning which guides the inquiry and controls efficient or best adapted to certain conditions and the interpretation. It organizes isolated facts into types of patients. Special experinlents have check­ meaningful relation with each other and arrives at ed the immediate effect of the adjustment upon a synthesis within the largest possible frame of heart rate, blood count, blood pressure, and other reference. This indeed is the supreme goal of physiological phenomena. Other experiments have science. Nothing better illustrates this process measured the extent to which a correction at one than the various factors out of which has develop. spinal level alters the status at another level; ed the science of chiropractic. 3. Statistics: A far-reaching program of statis­ First of all, it is a body of classified knowledge. tical research is in progress under the auspices of The essentials of the basic sciences from the nu­ the Department of Research and Statistics of the cleus of chiropractic education. From these, the American Chiropractic Association, to evaluate the basic sciences, come the data which support the results of chiropractic therapy in specific types of theory of chiropractic and shape the practice. Such cases. knowledge is supplemented by additional knowl­ Finally, chiropractic is stringently bound by the edge garnered from chiropractic centers in various rules of logic. It reasons by induction and deduc­ parts of the world. tion, applies