Philosophy Summative Assignment - Discuss the main philosophical schools of thought and methods of reasoning relevant to the practice of chiropractic
Introduction
This assignment will discuss the main philosophical schools of thought and methods of reasoning relevant to the practice of chiropractic. It is relevant to first understanding the meaning of chiropractic, philosophy and its branches. The main schools of thought; vitalism, holism and naturalism to name a few, will be discussed and related to the practice of chiropractic.
‘Chiropractic (Greek kheir, hand, and praktikos, practitioner) is defined as the science of treating human ailments by adjustment of the spine’ Bradbury, P. (1957). It is grounded in the principle that the
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The questions above can be answered by relating to the schools of thought, from connecting these thoughts to the questions imposed, philosophy of chiropractic will evolve.
A Brief History
Throughout its short life time, Chiropractic has been divided by its internal factors; chiropractors themselves. Chiropractic has been split for the last 100 years into at least two metaphysical camps because of the inability to have honest, intellectual and critical debate over philosophical issues (Coulter, 2000); innatists and rationalists. Innatists held their belief in vitalism. Opposing this are the rationalists, who choose to reject the innate and universal intelligence. It is possible that this conflict arose due to D.D. Palmer’s confusion about philosophy and how it imposes chiropractic (Coulter, I.D. 1999). It is likely early happenings resulted in chiropractic defending its profession with ‘chiropractic philosophy’ rather than clarifying the nature of the profession by teaching ‘philosophy of chiropractic’.
This conflict had immediate impact on practice. Two types of chiropractors; straights, claiming true ‘chiropractic philosophy’, practicing on the spine only, and mixers; who embraced a wider range of practice, treating the whole body (Coulter, I.D. 1999). The concept of innate intelligence found itself wedged between the split, embraced by the innatists, and persistent of dogma for the rationalists.
The philosophy of chiropractic possesses a holistic nature in order to promote optimal health. Instead of analyzing certain symptoms a person might be experiencing and treating the person accordingly, it looks at the source of the problem in order to encourage the entire body to heal properly. It integrates natural forms of healing to the body, such as adjusting subluxations. Adjusting subluxations provides a substantial flow of the nervous system which aids the body to progress to a healthier status and prevent diseases. This philosophy or idea stems from the concept that the human body is knowledgeable and is able to adjust in order to become stronger or reach an improved condition. The human body is extraordinary in that it is capable of healing itself in several situations with the proper assistance. It holds true that the body functions much more efficiently the closer it achieves a homeostatic state. Chiropractic adjustments enable the body to naturally repair itself in order to achieve an increased equilibrium. Allowing the nervous system to work properly, physical, mental and emotional health can be acquired from the nervous system which coordinates all the functions the body can perform. The nervous system is the critical component of how the different organs, glands and tissues of the body communicate with each other. This is why allowing the nervous system to function at the
Most of us are unaware what ‘pain’ in the body means. If only all consider it as a signal to some problem to the tissues and take fast action, lots of inconvenience can be saved. And on that, nobody rush to the clinic or hospital unless the pain turns severe. We meet such people daily in Buleen as we are the only trusted name in pain management due to lifestyle activities and sports injury in the suburb. Meeting such people as a chiropractor in Bulleen has made us come up with comprehensive services in chiropractic.
The mission of chiropractors is to enhance the lives of this and future generations through the power of the chiropractic adjustment and wellness lifestyle. Many athletes go to the chiropractor to get their health to full potential again. Although, most clients go to the doctor and get hundreds of dollars worth of x-rays and medicine, if they went to the chiropractor then their injury could easily be fixed with quicker treatments and less money spent. Going to the chiropractor is a better option to heal client’s spinal issues than going to the doctor.
In the past century, chiropractors were shunned and undermined as unethical medical doctors with the sole belief that it was unethical to associate with any of these kind of practitioners. The article which I have thoroughly analysed was retrieved on the American Medical Association website. It outlines the history and events of the struggle of the chiropractors back in the early 1800s up until the late 1900’s. The article also explains how Chester Wilk along with four other chiropractors sued the AMA due to violations of section 1 and 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act. Through these significant events, the future of chiropractic has been created into what it is as of today.
It took time for Dr. Fiel to figure out what he wanted to do for a living. He had an education in Chiropractic, but knew there was much more to learn. He delved into an unknown domain where physical therapy, orthopedics, and chiropractic sciences meet. He combines all of these aspects into his treatment plans, and it is one of the reasons why he is so successful. However, this recent success has not hindered his thirst for knowledge. In fact, he recently has become certified in acupuncture, which will help countless more patients.
Chiropractic is an invalid and harmful therapy, which is created on the basis of pseudoscientific ideas. Chiropractors use manual therapy, especially manipulation of the spine, other joints, and soft tissues to treat diseases and proclaim a cure-all and vaccination opposition. Only one of therapy (chiropractic) was used in the medicine and would not allow any vaccine inoculation to be made available to people, which is chiropractic theory. Chiropractic followers set up own theory, method and system and peddle this treatment. As modern humans we enjoy a wide range of medical treatment, and they provide a healthier life. However, advances in modern medicine as with the further research traditional medicines like chiropractic it met with incredulity. For decades the chiropractic has denied modern medicine to treat patients. Although chiropractic followers profess that it can cure all diseases by removal of the subluxation and replace vaccinations, more and more evidences support that chiropractic is an unscientific and dangerous therapy. What people must understand is that tradition and history are no excuse for therapeutic effect but should be more focused on scientific method that is widely proved to be effective and safe in the medicine.
Throughout the years there have been two traditions within the practice of medicine. One is the 'art of healing ' which involves its own specialised brand of training. The art of healing is dependent on the prescriber 's foreknowledge and the clients’ viewpoint of the prosperous results. The 'Science of healing ' is based on scientific and technological ideas. This tradition results in a lower liability for practitioners regarding the showing of an original approach to medicine, however the results of this method are more calculable (Kayne 2002). It is believed that the tradition of the ‘art of healing’ is increasing in popularity. The World Health Organisation states ' 'that the terms ' 'complementary medicine ' ' or ' 'alternative medicine’ ' are used interchangeably with traditional medicine in some countries. They refer to a broad set of health care practices that are not part of that country 's own tradition and are not integrated into the dominant health care system” (World Health Organization 2000). This type of treatment, is commonly known as ‘Complementary and alternative medicine’ (CAM). The word complementary derives from the meaning ‘together with’ established practices and the word alternative refers to ‘in place’ of established practices. Some patients choose to participate in complementary therapies along with the medication prescribed by their general practitioner whilst others prefer complementary therapies as opposed to the medications
The experience taught vital lessons that seem not to be the focus in today’s society anymore. Although a business has to have money in order to be successful, money is not everything. The health of patients and their well-being must always be the key reason to strive diligently in the chiropractic field. When you start working just to pay the bills you start to lose integrity and the respect of the patients. They may start to feel that your interest is somewhere else. Patients who can see that they are being taken care of and are receiving great attention are the same patients who come back on a regular basis. This builds strong relationships which can help keep the business running
“Get knowledge of the spine, for this is the requisite for many diseases.” –Hippocrates, 460-377 BC. If a Greek physician could make this statement over 2300 years ago, why is it such an under-exposed theory today? As stated in Chiropractic First, written by Dr. Rondberg, a chiropractor of 35 years and founder of the “Chiropractic Journal,” Hippocrates “believed that only nature could heal and it was the physician’s duty to remove any obstruction that would prevent the body from healing” (8-9). These “physicians” are called chiropractors today, and their goal is to remove subluxations, the displacement of two or more spinal disks that causes
Chiropractors are health-care professionals that contribute a lot to people seeking a health lifestyle. Chiropractors go through safe procedures that can help increase mobility, relieve pain, and optimize performance. A majority of chiropractors treat families however they treat them one-on-one allowing them to form a bond with each person and understanding what that person likes and dislikes. The history of chiropractic first startedoff when Daniel David Palmer made his first chiropractic adjustment on a janitor who couldn’t hear very well. A few days after that adjustment, the janitor cameback and told Palmer that his hearing seemed to improve. The correction to the janitor encouraged Palmer to open a school of chiropractic two years later. “Chiropractic” actually is derived
Chiropractic has been practiced for thousands of years but when it finally became an acknowledged profession, many people became interested in how and why it could benefit their health. It is said that chiropractic treatment can fix many types of spine-related injuries or pain. That includes leg, knee and ankle, back and neck, arms, wrist, shoulder and elbow, and different pre-diagnosed dysfunctions such as arthritis, chronic injuries, and joint discomfort ("BENEFITS OF CHIROPRACTIC CARE.). With 24 different vertebrae in the human spine, a chiropractor must focus in on the independent vertebrae that control specific nerves in the nervous system
I have been impacted both directly and indirectly by chiropractic and chiropractors in several aspects. Although I was not on the table myself until earlier this year, I could see relief and comfort in the faces of family members and friends after receiving adjustment. I approached my chiropractor with the goal to correct my posture. Throughout my visits with Dr. Natalie, my posture did improve, but my confidence and curiosity for the profession equally benefitted as well. Chiropractic became more than an adjustment every couple of weeks, it became my newest fascination. Through my university I was able to schedule shadowing experiences with several chiropractors in the area. This gave me the opportunity to get a feel for the profession as a whole as there is a lot that happens outside of the treatment room. The doctors I encountered were invaluable resources
It is the return of life and living of it”. That was what I read from online which was told by a experienced chiropractor and this has strongly inspired me to even more want to become a chiropractor. Most important am I wanted to work with people and discover why some of the people will diagnosed with the mechanical disorder of the musculoskeletal system which will affect theirs activities in the normal life while others were not. Beside
The Chiropractic care primarily focusses on the treatment of ailments related to the nervous system and the musculoskeletal system without the usage of drugs. The patients are subjected to various rehabilitative and therapeutic exercise programs. In the recent times, the Pettibon system is being practiced widely by many chiropractic physicians and claims to be one of the best approach for the chiropractic care.
Chiropractic is one of the most respected and most prominent of alternative medicine practices. Although many people would only consider visiting a chiropractor for the alleviation of pain caused by musculoskeletal problems, chiropractic beliefs involve much more than just muscle manipulation. Just over a century ago, Daniel David Palmer claimed to have cured both deafness