Chiropractic Adjustment v. Spinal
Manipulation
If I have given you the right link, you have written a paper that makes, or at least allows, something like the following argument.
"Spinal manipulation has been proved to relieve acute lower back pain, therefore chiropractic has been proved to work on lower back pain."
Your present assignment is to consider whether or not that is a good argument.
Does the fact that spinal manipulation relieves lower back pain really PROVE that chiropractic relieves lower back pain?
"Spinal manipulation" is a term that is sometimes used to refer to a procedure, which is also called "chiropractic adjustment," in which a chiropractor, acting under chiropractic theory, purportedly adjusts the alignment of spinal vertebrae on the assumption that such adjustment will result in improved health, such as cures of things like earache, fatigue, and lower back pain. However, the term "spinal manipulation" is also used to refer to a different procedure,which is also known under it's technical name of "Spinal Manipulative Therapy" or "SMT," in which a therapist, who may be a medical doctor, acting under non-chiropractic medical theory, manipulates the spine without attempting to change the alignment of spinal vertebrae, on the assumption that such non-chiropractic manipulation will relieve lower back pain.
Chiropractic adjustment is when a chiropractor shoves
hard against your spine with the intention of forcing a vertebra to change position
relative to your spinal cord and other vertebrae. You can't do this for yourself.
Supposedly, only chiropractors can do this. Chiropractors believe this changes
the alignment of your vertebrae, like so:
Before
After
Spinal
Manipulative Therapy is when a therapist makes you bend your body safely back and
forth farther than you normally bend it. You can do this for yourself
by bending backwards as far as you can go, and then forwards as far as you can go. Any therapist can do this. It is not
intended to make your vertebra change position relative to your spinal cord
and other vertebrae. Doctors believe this preserves the alignment
of your vertebrae, like so:
Before
After
Now read the following: Interactive Investigation: Scientific Studies and Chiropractors
Is "spinal manipulation" automatically the same thing as chiropractic adjustment?
If it is, why is it? If it isn't, why isn't it?
If it isn't, what does this say about claims that the Rand study supports chiropractic?
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