The fundamental question is: Did D. D.
Palmer (or his son. B. J. Palmer) make any significant original
contribution to medical science? Is there any genuine knowledge or
effecive treatment for any ailment that stems
from any new insight into the human body
generated by Palmer? (Medical
treatment provided by chiropractors is not relevant to this question.
Only evidence relevant to chiropractic adjustment
will count in the end.)
There are two possible answers to this question:
1. (Positive) Treatment based on Palmer's unique chiropractic theory of
health is effective for at least one aliment. Proponants of this view
usually at least claim that chiropractic theory
explains low back pain, (if not asthma,
cancer and deafness), and that treatment based on chiropractic theory
is effective in relieving lower back pain, (and maybe asthma, cancer
and deafness).
2. (Negative) Treatment based on Palmer's unique chiropractic theory of
health is not effective for any
aliment. Proponants of this view usually claim that chiropractic theory
does not explain low back pain, or
anything else, and that treatment based on chiropractic theory is not
effective in relieving lower back pain, or anything else.
Most chiropracters claim that chiropractic is a effective
method of promoting heath. That is, they claim that using appropriate chiropractic
techniques, a qualified chiropracter can generate changes that,
A. were produced by the application of chiropractic methods to the
client's body, not by processes well-known to medicine,
B. could not have been so easily generated by non-chiropractic methods,
such as non-chiropractic manipulation or other massage, and
C. represent a significant improvement in the client's health.
Critics of chiropractic claim that this never
happens, chiropractic theory is not supported by
evidence, that applying specifically chiropractic
methods to someone's spine produces no improvements in health. They do
not rule out the possibility that people enjoy visiting chiropractors,
or that they may feel better after visiting a chiropractor. They just
deny that chiropractic treatment really produces
health improvements.
Based on the limited evidence available to you through this website,
does chiropractic treatment do anything to help
people's health?
Please let me know if any of these links are broken or otherwise unhelpful.
Scientific skepticism (Some basic guidelines for approaching questions like this.)Origin
and History of Chiropractic (By supporters) (Alternative
link, Alternative
link, alternative
link, alternative
link
Frequently
Asked Questions
7
Things You Need to Know About Chiropractic Therapy (Anti
chiro)
Chirobase
(Your Skeptical Guide to Chiropractic History, Theories, and Practices
)
What's
the best Rx for lower-back pain?
American Chiropractic
Association (Pro-Chiro)
NCAHF
Fact Sheet on Chiropractic (2001) (Anti
chiro)
Canadian Memorial
Chiropractic College (CMCC) (Pro-Chiro)
The
Doctor Within (Pro-Chiro)
How
Does
Chiropractic Work (Pro-Chiro)
How Does Chiropractic Work (Pro-Chiro)
Waxhaw Chiropractor: How does chiropractic work? (Pro-Chiro)
Newark Chiropractor,How does chiropractic work (Pro-Chiro)How Does Chiropractic Work (Pro-Chiro)
The
Skeptic's
Dictionary on chiropractic (Anti-Chiro, with links to other
articles)
Chiropractic A
Skeptical Guide (Anti-Chiro, with dozens of links!)
Victims
of Chiropractic (Anti-Chiro)
Chiropractic
Book Contents (Anti-Chiro)
Chiropractic
Does the Bad Outweigh the Good A chiropractor defends and
criticizes chiropractic.
Peter J. Modde, D.C. criticizes chiropractic :http://www.chirobase.org/01General/modde.html
A
scientific test of the chiropractic theory
Online book criticising Chiropractic: http://books.google.com/books
The Skeptic encyclopedia of pseudoscience, Volume 1 (Discussion of chiropractic starts on page 308.)
Huge online discussion in
non-technical language: http://chirotalk.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=litaleg&action=display&thread=1985
(Use your search function to find keywords.)
If you are just collecting arguments for argument extraction, try to
find arguments that bear on the question of whether or not the original
theory of D. D. Palmer is scientifically valid.
If you are writing an odyssey, your first stage should include at least
one pro-chiro argument, at least one anti-chiro argument, and your
carefully explained reasoning as to whether or not the evidence
presented in these arguments supports the claim that chiropractic works
for anything at all.
Your essay should explain your reasoning clearly and completely. It
should not simply give a list of reasons that happen to support your
opinion. Instead, it should carefully explain and critique the logic of
what you take to be the one or two most important arguments on both
sides of the issue.
For more information on how you might structure your paper, see conclusion.htm or odysseymodel.htm
Here are some relevant articles and links. (Please email me about any
broken links. If it's urgent, please call.)
Follow-Up Questions
Asthma
Rand Study
Manga Study
The AHCPR Study
Comment
on the New Zealand report:
http://www.chirobase.org/08Legal/AT/at033.html
Related Links
chirostroke
chiroAHCPR
chiroasthma
chiroback
chirocon
chirodancing
chirofamily
chiromanga
chiromanipulation
chiromethods
chiropractic
chiropro
chirosmt
Copyright © 2009 by Martin C. Young
