article archive
October 2005
Some things we're not supposed
to talk about
by Dr. Frank Bowling
Recently, a lady in her late 30s came in to see me with a
chief complaint of neck and back pain, but also mentioned
that she'd been having "heart flutters." I adjusted
her spine as usual. The next time I saw her, she reported
that the heart flutters had been greatly reduced by the day
after her adjustment, and were completely gone by the second
day. She was very surprised.
Around the same time, a gentleman
in his mid‑30s came
in complaining of pain in the neck and shoulders, but disclosed
that he'd been having some numbness in his lower back, which
had spread to his groin, causing numbness during sexual activity.
Within a few adjustments, he reported that the problem had
been resolved, and that he and his wife were both much happier.
This
week, a 13 year‑old boy was brought in with symptoms
of the flu lasting several days, accompanied by a fever that
wouldn't seem to go down. I examined and adjusted him, and
although I don't "treat" fever or the flu, I expected,
based on past experience, that the boy might very well be
better by the next day. Sure enough, he was much improved,
and was able to return to school and soccer practice as usual.
What's
the connection?
The above cases represent something called "anecdotal
evidence" which means they are not scientific studies,
but are simply average cases, routinely seen by chiropractors
all over the world. Patients initially come in for complaints
they think a chiropractor can help, like neck or back pain,
and often find that some of their other health problems respond
as well.
How do these things happen? It's because of the close
relationship between the spine and the nervous system, which
affects all other systems and functions in the body, including
internal organs and the immune system. Chiropractors don't
treat these problems, but at the same time, chiropractic
adjustments often do have an impact on them.
Two schools of
thought
During most of chiropractic's 110‑year history,
we've been divided into two camps, somewhat like Democrats
and Republicans. We both want to benefit our patients and our
world, but we have different ideas about how best to go about
it.
One group thinks we should only talk about neck pain, back
pain and other musculoskeletal complaints. They try very
hard to "fit in" to the traditional medical model
and be "accepted" by our medical colleagues and
friends. They're afraid that if chiropractors talk about
the effect of spinal adjustments on other systems, we'll
be misinterpreted, and come across as "some kind of
nuts." Indeed, that very problem has often occurred
in the past, and still crops up from time to time even today.
Doctors, scientists and others in positions of authority,
or with a lot of political or economic power, have accused
us of thinking we can cure anything.
The second group thinks
that despite the risk of being misinterpreted or labeled "unscientific," we chiropractors have
an obligation to tell the truth about what we know ‑‑ that
correcting vertebral subluxations or misalignments in the
spine has far‑reaching effects throughout the body.
I can still hear my old college president saying, more than
30 years ago, that the practice of chiropractic is a "narrow
scope with broad implications," by which he meant that
we really only adjust the spine, but if we do it correctly,
the benefits can be truly remarkable.
In recent years, respected
scientists from a variety of backgrounds have begun to publish
research that supports the basic chiropractic premise. Much
still needs to be done, and historically, while almost no
government grants or other funds have been made available
to pursue that research (particularly compared to the billions
spent on medical and pharmaceutical studies), progress is
still being made.
Meanwhile, those of us in private practice,
working out here "in the trenches" every day with
real people, continue to have experiences with our patients
like those described above. And rather than hide under a bushel
what surely will one day be recognized as the brilliant light
of chiropractic philosophy, I, for one, think we must surely
let it shine!