Chiropractic
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Whilst in preparation, it may become a temporary repository for links to research papers being consulted.
Chiropractic: Quackery Hiding in Plain Sight
"Here in the UK, chiropractic adjustment is relatively unpopular, with only 3,000 registered chiropractors nationwide. This is probably due, in part, to the fact that most Brits see it for what it is – a scam, and it is often lumped together with other New Age alternative therapies. Even the NHS calls it a “complementary and alternative medicine” (CAM)."
Conclusions: The majority of chiropractors and their associations in the English-speaking world seem to make therapeutic claims that are not supported by sound evidence, whilst only 28% of chiropractor websites promote lower back pain, which is supported by some evidence. We suggest the ubiquity of the unsubstantiated claims constitutes an ethical and public health issue.
The hallmark therapy of chiropractors is spinal manipulation. Nearly all patients consulting a chiropractor will have their spine manipulated. This often means that the chiropractor applies a sudden, powerful thrust to a vertebra which takes the spinal joint beyond its physiological range of motion. In about half of all patients, this causes mild to moderate pain that usually lasts two or three days and often is strong enough to affect patients’ quality of life.
The most common serious adverse events are vertebrobasilar accidents, disk herniation, and cauda equina syndrome. Estimates of the incidence of serious complications range from 1 per 2 million manipulations to 1 per 400,000. Given the popularity of spinal manipulation, its safety requires rigorous investigation.
From: Don't Believe What You Think: Arguments for and against SCAM by Edzard Ernst
Page updated 22 April 2024