Chiropractic

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Chiropractic

WHAT IS CHIROPRACTIC?

Chiropractic is a relatively young and unknown health science in Spain. The word ‘Chiropractic’ comes from the Greek ‘cheir’ (hand) and ‘praktikos’ (practice with the hands).

Chiropractic was developed by DD Palmer in 1895 in the USA. The first school was opened in 1898 in Iowa, USA. Nowadays, chiropractic is studied as a higher level university degree in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. Graduates in North America obtain the title Doctor of Chiropractic (DC). In the same year that chiropractic was developed, x-rays were discovered when a German Dr. Röntgen accidentally photographed his wife’s hand. This discovery revolutionised medical science and helped with the scientific development of chiropractic.

ORIGINAL PRACTICE

Historically, chiropractors focussed their attention on the spine. The original theory was that misaligned or ‘subluxated’ vertebrae put pressure on the spinal nerves interfering with the correct communication between the central nervous system (brain and spinal marrow) and all the muscles and organisms in the body. As a consequence, illnesses occurred, not only locally, but also in the areas where these nerves are connected.

CURRENT PRACTICE

Nowadays, chiropractic continues to believe that adjusting the vertebrae restabilises the correct working of the nervous system and maintains optimal health.
However, the importance of the vertebral subluxation has acquired new dimensions. It has been shown that the effects of the specific vertebral adjustments are neurological and immune as well as mechanical. (Bibliography 1-4)
Various chiropractic research studies have shown that the manual correction of vertebral subluxations has physiological, biochemical and immunological effects (Bibliography 5-8).