Is Chiropractic care outdated when compared to modern medicine?

Chiropractic was discovered in 1895, thirty-three years before Alexander Flemming discovered Penicillin in what marked the beginning of modern medicine. Not only has the profession of chiropractic been established longer than modern medicine, but it also spearheaded major advancements that, to this day, impacts all healthcare worldwide. In 1910 chiropractors were the first healthcare professionals to understand and utilize X-ray for patient care. Chiropractors were also the first healthcare profession to develop and utilize thermography in 1924. Since then, there have been advancements in the profession of chiropractic that are far too numerous to name even a small percentage of, but we will discuss a few of the notable ones. 

The U.S. has the worst maternal outcomes in the industrialized world. Women are more likely to die while delivering a baby in the U.S. than all other wealthy countries¹; the odds are even worse for black and Native American women. The U.S. also has the most expensive obstetrical delivery process in the entire world,² ranging from $32,000 for a “standard” delivery and over $51,000 for a C-section. While these results don’t bode well for modern medicine, chiropractic has stepped up to help improve and optimize birth outcomes and reduce cost by limiting the necessity for interventions during labor. Of course, we are referring to the development and standardization of the Webster chiropractic technique. While this technique can be performed on anyone, it has major obstetrical implications. Dystocia, or dysfunctional labor, is caused by 3 things: Distorted birth canal shape (passage), unequal or ineffective contractions (power), and the baby’s position and movement (passenger). The Webster chiropractic technique is able to address all 3 common causes of dystocia and improves birth outcomes. ^3,4 This is huge for both the safety and expense for parents. 

Low back pain is the leading cause of disability in the world,⁵ and is a major variable in the opioid addiction epidemic. Ironically, modern medicine is the precipitator of the opioid epidemic.  The major producer of opioid drugs is Purdue Pharmaceuticals. The major producer of the drug – buprenorphine that treats opioid addiction- is also Purdue Pharmaceuticals. This is definition of an ethical quandary, the same company that sells the cause also sells the cure. It’s within this, that chiropractic and it’s advancements in research and efficacy shine. Chiropractic care is well documented to be highly effective in correcting the common causes of low back pain and has been shown to be beneficial for those battling addiction.⁶ 

There have been technological advancements as well. A notable one is the implementation of heart rate variability (HRV) in chiropractic practices. Chiropractors have been sharing both the importance of neurological function and the ability of chiropractic care to optimize that function for over 100 years. The advent and uptake of HRV gives measureable outcomes for this improvement. What’s more, other companies like Aura^tm rings have adapted HRV technology as more and more people are coming to understand the importance of an optimally functioning nervous system and its mitigating factors for the development of chronic illness. 

The U.S. spends more money on health care than any other country in the world, consumes more pharmaceuticals than any other county in the world and yet ranks last for health and longevity when compared to other healthy nations.⁷ Modern medicine has failed to modernize. Albeit, they have added some bells and whistles to their diagnostics, but they are still doing the same thing they were 100 years ago but to a greater degree. They are covering up symptoms with drugs. If those drugs don’t work they just give more. According to the National Institutes of Health, children born in 2019 are expected to be on pharmaceutical drugs for half of their life⁸. For those that want to break out of this forecasted lifelong dependency on pharmaceuticals, chiropractic care for health maintenance is not optional and is more important than it’s ever been. 

Sources:

1) https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/maternal-mortality-on-the-rise

2) https://www.statista.com/chart/20657/average-hospital-admission-cost-for-giving-birth/?srsltid=AfmBOorYLRWCLTvlzIl2oxjwEkX_k9De174RWmN2YGPMrCzW0QPeknv0

3) Alcantara J, Nazarenko AL, Ohm J, Alcantara J. The Use of the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System and the RAND VSQ9 to Measure the Quality of Life and Visit-Specific Satisfaction of Pregnant Patients Under Chiropractic Care Utilizing the Webster Technique. J Altern Complement Med. 2018 Jan;24(1):90-98.

4) Pistolese RA. The Webster Technique: a chiropractic technique with obstetric implications. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2002 Jul-Aug;25(6):E1-9. 

5) The World Health Organization

6) Holder J, Shriner B. Subluxation based chiropractic care in the management of cocaine addiction: A case report. Ann Vert Sublux Res. 2012 Feb; 8-17.

7) https://www.ajmc.com/view/us-health-care-system-ranks-last-overall-among-other-high-income-countries

8) Ho JY. Life Course Patterns of Prescription Drug Use in the United States. Demography. 2023 Oct 1;60(5):1549-1579.