Chiropractic Care: Then & Now
An explanation of the full history of chiropractic and manipulation would be difficult to provide in a brief blog post. However, to have some insight into the philosophy and evolution of chiropractic care is helpful, and hopefully entertaining for many people in order to expand awareness of the profession.
The first manipulations occurred well before the first known writings/recordings of its use. The reasons for manipulation, as well as many medical procedures, have been continuously founded on a balance of science and art. Ancient cultures have utilized various forms of pharmaceuticals, surgery, manipulation, and physiotherapy in whichever ways their environments allowed and influenced them. These treatments and more grew into their own specialties, not to define between right and wrong, but to allow individuals to excel in their practice and provide others with quality care.
Chiropractic is a specialty that most commonly utilizes manipulation, later defined as the “chiropractic adjustment” to treat neuromusculoskeletal concerns. D.D. Palmer is credited to have first defined the techniques and profession of chiropractic. However, even his language and philosophies have evolved with new findings in science and a changing focus on healthcare in our culture. A concept defined by D.D. Palmer that is still a cornerstone in chiropractic care today is understanding the relationship of structure and function of the body and its influence on a person’s state of health.
The education of all professions, especially in the healthcare industry, has advanced to delineated requirements of study, testing, licensing, and practice. All doctors of chiropractic in North America, regardless of philosophy, are qualified as portal-of-entry physicians. With this role, they have a responsibility to determine if chiropractic care is the best option for a patient or if a referral to another health practitioner is of more benefit.
At East End Chiropractic we look to provide our patients with quality care. Our goal is to determine an applicable diagnosis with the aid of a thorough examination, functional assessment findings, and appropriate imaging. Taking into account patient goals and realistic recovery patterns of the human body, we look to define a treatment plan utilizing chiropractic adjustments and adjunctive therapies, such as soft tissue work, passive modalities, and exercise prescription, while respecting our state defined scope of practice.
