(Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Dr. Travis J. Robertson.)
I was recently asked, “What, if anything, would you like to see in Chiropractic research?”
I responded with the following:
Research From a Philosophical Standpoint.
We need to research to find out if a one’s overall life experience is bettered through regular chiropractic care. Some of this has been started but in a very limited sense. I mean we all believe it and it is logical that it does, but where is the science to support it?
Also our technology is so ancient and variable in terms of analyzing the spine to determine if a subluxation is present that it to must be researched and improved. BJ, with what is available today, would not be using the same technology as in his time. Our methods of adjusting must be rigorously ridiculed as well if we are to advance in our mission.
All of our research should be done on chiropractic premises and using chiropractic terms. Honestly I do not care if chiropractic is a good treatment for autism or for ADHD or for earaches or low back pain. All I know is that it is good for people to have a good nerve supply and I know that subluxation interferes with a good nerve supply, period. I know this and do not need research to convince me otherwise. However others may not have the confidence that I do so researching this area especially is important and should be our focus.
We have been “slipping” as a profession but more specifically we have been slipping since about 1970 in the research category and not once have we checked ourselves of this. This is so evident that we now live in a world where the Chiropractor is associated with back pain. Why? Because that is what we spent our research money on to prove.
Makes you wonder doesn’t it? What if we had done things in the research arena differently? What if we had researched CHIROPRACTIC and brought that message to the world through that research? What if we hadn’t compromised our principles in order to be “accepted” by medicine and the insurance companies. Do any of you that take insurance actually enjoy all the hassles and denied claims and paperwork and staff wages in order for you to collect a fraction of what the medic gets for the same “diagnosis”? Are we truly better off today? Would we have been better off if we had chosen the uncompromised principled path, although harder at the time?
We have failed in the research game because we have tried to prove ourselves to the world by researching chiropractic from a medical standpoint (i.e. disease treatment). And since chiropractic is not about disease but rather life, all, and I mean all, of our research should be without any mention of diseases or symptoms. Instead it should mention the changes that have occurred in the quality of lives. If we keep perpetuating the use and study of conditions in research there will always be a rift between what we say and believe philosophically and what we do in research.
Many Chiropractors say they want to study the effects of Chiropractic on other non-neuromusculoskeletal conditions but where does that put us? Instead of being good for neck and back pain we get to be good at treating many conditions? Is that any better? What about the people that do not have any of those evidence-based conditions? Is it not good for them to have a good nerve supply regardless of the obvious presence of a medical condition? We must, if we want to increase the market of people we see, study through research the benefit chiropractic could have for anyone, not just different conditions.
I mean, come on, are we releasing interference to maximal innate expression or are we just manual medics? Do you want to see everybody or just the kids with earaches because that is what the research says we are good for? Why not do research to see if we are good for everybody. Just like eating right, getting plenty of sleep, exercise, and having a positive attitude. If we are teaching our patients this then why not have the research to back up regular care for a lifetime.
Let’s spend those precious few research dollars that we have on a marvel concept… Chiropractic. Who knows, maybe as people begin to see what a good thing we are doing for people and as their consciousness shifts from one paradigm to another they will come in droves because we are the only health professionals proven, through research, to be a great thing to do for your health and life, symptoms or not.
There is a quote that says “It is not who you are underneath but what you do that defines you.” It is time to be the profession we say we are underneath by acting in congruence with our philosophy.
In my opinion Upper Cervical Chiropractic is one of the most congruent techniques in terms of the science and art matching the philosophy. The world would have less problems, more peace, more security, provide for more peoples’ needs, instill hope, increase love, improve communication, face challenges with confidence and so much more if we just make the choice to be who we already know we can be. The time to make that choice has arrived.
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Hey Brandon, I wish every Chiropractor thought the way that you did.
Great Philosophy talk!