Tag: back pain

Medicare proposal covers acupuncture for back pain study participants: A prelude to full coverage?

Medicare coverage of acupuncture is under consideration. A new proposal would provide coverage to Medicare patients participating in studies of acupuncture for back pain. This research would be used in making a final decision.

/ July 18, 2019

Inside Chiropractic: Yesteryear and Today

In the 123 years since its inception, the core beliefs of the chiropractic profession have not changed. Chiropractic continues to exist as a form of alternative medicine that embraces a variety of questionable procedures and treatment methods. The chiropractic profession in the United States is still defined by the vertebral subluxation theory that gave it birth and independence as an alternative to...

/ February 16, 2018

Chiropractic and Spinal Manipulation Red Flags: A Comprehensive Review

Many people visit chiropractors’ offices seeking relief from back pain. Appropriate use of spinal manipulation provided by a chiropractor can be helpful in treating mechanical-type back pain, but there are good reasons to avoid chiropractic manipulation based on correction of “vertebral subluxations,” and there are red flags to look for before undergoing any kind of manipulative treatment for neck or back pain.

/ July 7, 2017

Chiropractic Subluxation Theory: Legal Support for Inappropriate Use of Spinal Manipulation

Legally licensed, unbridled subluxation-based chiropractors who offer unproven treatment for a broad scope of health problems endanger public health, stigmatize appropriate use of spinal manipulation, and deter development of chiropractic as a legitimate back-care specialty.

/ June 9, 2017

Corrigendum. The Week in Review for 05/21/2017

Choosing CAM leads to bad outcomes the world over. How deep can an acupuncture needle go? Measles continues and Minnesotans and will be welcomed in Texas. Rat rectal stimulation for Science. And more.

/ May 22, 2017

Afterword. Chiropractic and The New York Times. Is the newspaper TRYING to prove Trump right?

The New York Times had to go an publish "For Bad Backs, It May Be Time to Rethink Biases About Chiropractors" right after my Friday extravaganza, "Spinal Manipulation and the JAMA Meta-Analysis: An Analysis of Fuel. Sigh. Doody [sic] Calls.

/ May 2, 2017

The Enigma of Chiropractic: A Brief Review with a Perspective on Chiropractic as a Specialty

Much of what is discussed in this article has been said before in previous articles I have written for Science-Based Medicine. But since the audience for SBM has greatly increased over the past few years, some subject matter should be repeated for the new readers and researchers coming to this site for reliable information on health care. Many consumers now search SBM...

/ September 27, 2015

Do You Believe in Magic? Oregon Does. Chiropractic and Acupuncture for Pain.

Do You Believe in Magic? Do you believe in magic for a back pains fix How the needles can free her, where ever it pricks And it’s magic, if the chi is groovy It makes you feel happy like an old-time movie I’ll tell you about the magic, and it’ll free your soul But it’s like trying to tell a CAM ’bout...

/ August 7, 2015

“Finally…The Low Back Pain Solution”: A Chiropractor Makes Questionable Claims

The ads in my local newspaper are a never-ending source of questionable health claims, most often from diet supplement manufacturers and chiropractors. There’s no single spokesman like Dr. Oz, but as a group they remind me of Oz’s unending series of weight loss miracles, each one the perfect solution until the next one comes along. The proliferation of chiropractic ads is bad...

/ May 5, 2015

Opposing Chiropractic: Persecution or Justified Criticism?

The saga of chiropractic began in 1895 when D.D. Palmer, a magnetic healer, announced that “95 percent of all diseases are caused by displaced vertebrae, the remainder by luxations of other joints.” Palmer opened the first chiropractic school in Davenport, Iowa, offering a three-week course of study at the Palmer School and Cure, subsequently renamed the Palmer School of Chiropractic. The school...

/ February 1, 2015