Doctor: I have consulted decades of scientific literature to diagnose your ailment and provide a treatment plan based on humanity’s continually improving understanding of the biochemical workings of our bodies.
Chiropractor: I have consulted a book written by D. D. Palmer in 1895 who was a magnetic healer, anti-vaccine, and anti-medicine. He says you have ghosts in your bones and it’s messing with your natural healing powers. I’m gonna crack your back now. Yes I’m a doctor. Well not a doctor doctor, but you know.
The explanations that chiropractors have for how it works are basically pseudoscience. It is for the most part a placebo (they pretend to fix alignment issues that just don’t exist). But I’m not denying there may be instances where they actually fix something which could’ve been fixed by physical therapy as well. It’s a dangerous gamble though, there are cases where people got paralyzed or outright died because of a chiropractor. This is a good overview: https://www.skepdic.com/chiro.html
And yet the chiropractor is the one who can provide you with immediate relief. If you’ve ever had a fucked up back or neck and pinched nerves, then you really understand how helpful a chiropractor can be. Are they the solution for everything? Of course not. Do they greatly help people who are in pain? Absolutely. My doctor has never provided me with any actual treatment for my back, just drugs. The chiropractor actually treats the symptoms and the causes, and it’s usually immediate and long lasting relief.
Doctor: I have consulted decades of scientific literature to diagnose your ailment and provide a treatment plan based on humanity’s continually improving understanding of the biochemical workings of our bodies.
Chiropractor: I have consulted a book written by D. D. Palmer in 1895 who was a magnetic healer, anti-vaccine, and anti-medicine. He says you have ghosts in your bones and it’s messing with your natural healing powers. I’m gonna crack your back now. Yes I’m a doctor. Well not a doctor doctor, but you know.
I went to doctor school, one of the best in the country it was in!
What are chiropractors doing?
Placebo stuff? (e.g. nothing besides leaving an impression they helped)
Dangerous stuff that can work but could paralyze?
The explanations that chiropractors have for how it works are basically pseudoscience. It is for the most part a placebo (they pretend to fix alignment issues that just don’t exist). But I’m not denying there may be instances where they actually fix something which could’ve been fixed by physical therapy as well. It’s a dangerous gamble though, there are cases where people got paralyzed or outright died because of a chiropractor. This is a good overview: https://www.skepdic.com/chiro.html
And yet the chiropractor is the one who can provide you with immediate relief. If you’ve ever had a fucked up back or neck and pinched nerves, then you really understand how helpful a chiropractor can be. Are they the solution for everything? Of course not. Do they greatly help people who are in pain? Absolutely. My doctor has never provided me with any actual treatment for my back, just drugs. The chiropractor actually treats the symptoms and the causes, and it’s usually immediate and long lasting relief.
My doctor sent me to physical therapy for a month and I haven’t had any issues for almost a year.