Strokes Due to Chiropractic Cervical Manipulation

History of Chiropractic

Chiropractic was invented in 1895 by D.D. Palmer, a self-styled "magnetic healer," who claims to have discovered that spinal vertebrae could become displaced and impinge on nerves, causing, he said, 95% of disease. He named these displacements "subluxations"( which should not be confused with the medical definition of subluxation, that is, a partially dislocated joint). Putting these vertebrae back into position by what is variously referred to as an "adjustment" or "manipulation" restored what he termed "nerve flow," allowing the body to heal itself. Palmer's concepts are expressed in various ways by chiropractors today, including the claim that spinal "misalignment" is harmful to general health, and that chiropractors can correct this supposed misalignment. None of this is based on generally accepted scientific principles and is, in fact, contrary to what is known about human bodily function.

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© 2009 Jann Johnson Bellamy, J.D., (jbellamy@alternativemedsafety.org), Campaign for Alternative Medicine Consumer Safety. Reprinted by The Abelson Law Firm with permission. Further reproduction prohibited without permission of the author.