The first Chiropractic adjustment occurred in 1895 and the first Chiropractic patient did not suffer from back or neck pain. The first series of Chiropractic adjustments focused on the restoration of a man’s hearing in Davenport, Iowa. The successful adjustments produced life changing results and created a ripple effect around the world. Today millions of patients pursue long-term Chiropractic adjustments in order to receive a vast array of benefits attributed to optimal function of the spine and nervous system.
Chiropractic slowly evolved into becoming a significant presence in mainstream healthcare. The path to an evidence-based alternative to unnecessary drugs and surgeries came with a fair share of bumps and setbacks, specifically from the American Medical Association (AMA). One might expect an organisation rooted in the premise of caring about peoples’ health to support scientific development intent on reducing the need for dangerous drugs and surgeries. History shows that the AMA was found guilty by the Supreme Court of trying to eliminate and destroy the Chiropractic profession. The AMA feared losing peoples’ financial dependence on medicine and manufactured a smear campaign against Chiropractic which lasted for decades. The AMA was found guilty of an antitrust conspiracy against Chiropractors. The AMA created a committee focused on spreading lies and hurting the reputations of Chiropractic professionals. U.S. District Judge Susan Getzendanner described the conspiracy as, “systematic, long-term wrongdoing and with the long-term intent to destroy a licensed profession.”
The AMA proved temporarily successful in their quest to hinder the advancement of Chiropractic. Many Americans were unjustly influenced by lies and rhetoric that hindered their potential to receive better health care through the benefits of Chiropractic care. The initiatives put forth by the AMA ultimately failed as continually developing evidence proved otherwise. .
Children and adults of all ages and walks of life experience tremendous benefits from Chiropractic care. A short list of Chiropractic based improvements includes better mobility, agility, balance, coordination, immunity, brain health, breathing, sleeping, digestion, and pain relief. Science and research amassed over the past five decades help detail the processes involved in millions of lives positively impacted by Chiropractic care. Many of those cases mirror those of the first Chiropractic patient and involve health benefits which do not initially seem related to the spine.
A 2007 study found that “clinical and cost utilization based on 70,274 member-months over a 7-year period demonstrated decreases of 60.2% in-hospital admissions, 59.0% hospital days, 62.0% outpatient surgeries and procedures, and 85% pharmaceutical costs” when compared with conventional medicine. An initial 2004 conclusion from the same study found that “clinical utilization and cost outcomes of 21,743 member-months over a 4-year period reported utilization reductions of 43% in-hospital admissions, 58.4% hospital days, 43.2% outpatient surgeries and procedures, and 51.8% pharmaceutical costs” when compared with conventional medicine. The first 4 years of the study exclusively used doctors of chiropractic (DCs) as the Primary Care Physicians (PCP), whereas the last 3 years of the study, incorporated medical doctors (MDs) practicing as “natural medicine doctors” using a nonsurgical and nonpharmaceutical approach. It is exciting to note that the shared philosophy of a nonsurgical and nonpharmaceutical approach, between MD and DC, only expanded upon already great results.
Subscribing to a routine which involves regular exercise and a proper diet comes with great benefits. Chiropractic also positively impacts overall health when the nervous system receives regular care. Imagine the astronomical effects and rewards of a society reflecting those numbers on a grand scale. Chiropractic pursues a world where individuals experience a quality of life full of vibrant health and free from the shackles of financial and physical dependence on medicinal agents which provide temporary relief rather than true healing. People want healthcare options that do not involve regimens of drugs and surgeries. Chiropractors provide the education and instruction needed to let millions of health-conscious people know that Chiropractic works.
References:
* AMA Found Guilty of Antitrust Conspiracy against Chiropractors, August 29, 1987