This particular topic is where the controversy comes into play with the chiropractic profession.
The spine is divided into five areas to make it easier to understand and talk about. The Cranial, Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar and Sacral areas.
The nerves are divided into two general systems. The first system shown below, is called the peripheral nervous system. It caries signals to the brain from the periphery of the body. These nerves move the muscles and conduct sensations, pain being one of those sensations. Much scientific research has shown chiropractors correct in their assertion that they can help alleviate pain and do it faster and at less cost than medical doctors and physiotherapists combined.
There is another system called the autonomic nervous system. It regulates the automatic functions of the body. This autonomic system is further divided into two divisions because there are two separate needs that the body has.
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The body needs to be able to react to danger in a very fast way without thinking about it. This system called the Fight or Flight system, governs the muscles, heart rate, breathing, eye sight and much more. It allows the body to fight or run very quickly.
The body also needs to take in nourishment on a regular basis. The system that regulates this is called the vegetative system. Scientific terms for these systems are Sympathetic and Parasympathetic systems. The following two pages show this autonomic nervous system.
Chiropractors maintain that subluxations in the spine affect this autonomic nervous system causing it to malfunction. If a subluxation can cause pain and so much disability, and if chiropractors can provide so much fast relief for this pain, then it makes sense that this very same subluxation can cause irritation on these autonomic nerves as well. And Indeed, research shows that to be true.
Critics of chiropractic, of course, want still more proof. Even though they have not proven their
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beliefs, they still insist chiropractors should prove what they do. Our society has a long history of choice in health care and people value that choice. In fact, there are more visits in North America to alternative health care providers (of which chiropractic is the largest and most used), than to traditional medical doctors.
People who listened to these critics in the past did not get the tremendous benefits that chiropractic can offer for pain relief. People who listened to critics say foods have nothing to do with cancer did not get the cancer fighting benefits of certain wholesome foods. People who listened to the critics say Folic acid had nothing to do with neural tube defects (cleft lip, spina bifida etc.) did not benefit from the tremendous preventative effects of this simple vitamin. Now-days it would be considered malpractice if an MD did not recommend this vitamin to pregnant women.
And so, with this history of slow acceptance of scientific research, it behooves one to be careful when listening to critics criticize chiropractic. You will have to make your own mind up whether you wish the benefits of regular wellness chiropractic care.
Copyright November 2003
Dr. Victor Jean Ouellette
All Rights Reserved
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