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Dr. Bryan Graham of Vineyard Complementary Medicine attributes this paradox to a lack of awareness. Chiropractors do not cure, but rather facilitate healing, he explains. “Adjusting the spine keeps the nervous system flowing and allows the brain (the power source) to communicate with the body (the machine), keeping each individual organism operating at its optimum level”. Even within its own discipline, chiropractic has varying approaches and philosophies. Chiropractic is literally a “hands-on” form of health care – from Greek “chiro” meaning hand and “praktikos” “concerned with action”. This modality dates back to the beginning of recorded time and Hippocrates, the Greek physician who declared in one of his writings “get knowledge of the spine, for this is the requisite for many diseases.” Daniel David Palmer founded modern day chiropractic, and in 1897 established The Palmer School of Chiropractic, which remains one of the most eminent colleges of its kind in the United States. Chiropractic is practiced in more than 100 countries worldwide and falls under the umbrella of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). Chiropractors are passionate in their belief and respect for the human body's capacity to heal itself without resorting to medication and surgery. According to the American Chiropractic Association, “Doctors of Chiropractic have become pioneers in the field of non-invasive care, promoting science based approaches to a variety of ailments.” However, Dr. Graham strongly stresses that adept chiropractors must discern whether or not treating a particular situation is within the scope of their practice and be prepared to refer a patient to an appropriate health care provider where mainstream medical intervention may be required. Training in chiropractic is rigorous and comprehensive. Typical applicants to chiropractic school have almost four years of pre-med, undergraduate college courses with emphasis in physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, and related lab work before going on to another four to five years of professional study. A Chiropractic curriculum includes 4,820 hours of classroom and clinical study, compared with 4,670 and 3,398 in a medical and physical therapy curriculum, respectively. The title of Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) is conferred after passing national board and state exams. In the majority of states, Medicare considers a D.C. a physician, and many health insurance companies cover Chiropractic care.
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Although surrounded by a mantle of misconceptions and skepticism, chiropractic is still the second largest healing profession in the world.