A Quick History Lesson!

When I was trying to decide what career path to take, my dad was encouraging me to become a chiropractor.  My first reaction was NO WAY!!  Nobody likes chiropractors!  I had never seen a chiropractor, nor did I know any personally, yet I had this perception that they were not well liked.  I didn’t even know where this idea came from, until many years later (after I had become a chiropractor!! Thanks dad!).

The history behind the negative perception of chiropractic began in 1963 when the AMA (American Medical Association) authorized the formation of the Committee on Quackery.  Its primary goal was to “contain and eliminate chiropractic”.  It conducted nationwide conferences on chiropractic, distributed anti-chiropractic propaganda calling it an unscientific cult, and warned that professional associations between medical doctors and chiropractors were unethical.

In 1987 a Federal U.S. appellate court found the AMA guilty of an illegal, deliberate, disinformation campaign and an organized conspiracy to destroy chiropractic that was based on eliminating competition.  The AMA repeatedly tried to appeal this decision; however, the decision was upheld in the U.S. Court of Appeals in 1990.  Three separate times the AMA petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for an appeal, and each time they were denied.  The judge ordered an injunction that included orders that the AMA cease and desist its efforts against chiropractic.  During the trial it was conclusively shown that the AMA deliberately and willfully undermined chiropractic education and its schools, and concealed evidence of the effectiveness of chiropractic care.

By the time all this occurred, the AMA’s effort to undermine the reputation of chiropractic within the medical and public domains had been so successful, that this bias still exists.  No wonder I thought no one liked chiropractors!

Today, chiropractic is becoming widely accepted, although a few negative perceptions remain.  It is important when deciding on a health care route that we use both unbiased scientific evidence and experience to evaluate the professional, instead of opinions based on biased, unethical propaganda.

Perhaps you have heard some negative things about chiropractors?  Is this based on evidence and literature, or just someone’s opinion?   Perhaps chiropractic could help you?  Come in and find out!

January 2012 Article

It is now generally accepted that oxidative stress metabolically generating free radicals is how we age and develop disease.  Oxidative stress is the damage that occurs when free radicals outnumber the body’s antioxidants.  This oxidation damages all body cell components: proteins lipids and DNA.

Oxidative stress plays a role in a whole host of diseases and disorders including heart disease, arthritis, diabetes and many others.

But…. In 2005 a study published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluzation (JVSR) found evidence that chiropractic care can reduce oxidative stress in the body.

Most people associate chiropractic with pain management, however, it truly operates by removing blockages to the body’s natural health and healing abilities.  This includes removing pressure from nerves that relay signals from the brain to the organs and systems of the body.  In fact, without good nero-mechanics, the brain atrophy’s! In a Medical Times journal in 1921 Dr. Henry Winsor noted that “the disease appears to precede old age and to cause it.  The spine becomes stiff first and old age follows.”

Another anti-aging marker is a substance known as thiol.  Serum levels of thiols reflect DNA’scapacity to repair itself and can be used to measure aging and disease status.

In a 2003 study published in the Journal of Anti Aging Medicine, the scientists found low serum thiol levels in people with nine different categories of human disease and disorder.

The study published in JVSR used 76 participants: one group received short-term chiropractic care; a second group received long-term chiro practice care; and the third group received no chiropractic care.  Of the three groups studied, the one group who received chiropractic care for 2 or more years had higher serum thiollevels and some had serum thiol levels higher than what is associated with normal wellness.

All through our lives we experience physical, emotional, and chemical stress.  These stresses affect the function of the nervous system which can affect oxidative stress and DNA repair on a cellular level. Chiropractic care can improve the ability of the body to adapt to stresses, and is an important part in your wellness care.  Come see how chiropractic can help you feel and look younger!