Chiropractic Care for Families

The Association of Chiropractic Colleges, representing all accredited chiropractic colleges, defines chiropractic as “a health care discipline which emphasizes the inherent recuperative power of the body to heal itself without the use of drugs or surgery.” The association describes chiropractic practice as focusing on “the relationship between [Page 176]structure (primarily the spine) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system) and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health. “

By contrast, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines chiropractic as “a health care profession concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders of the neuromusculoskeletal system and the effects of these disorders on general health” (p. 3). The WHO emphasizes manual techniques, including joint adjustment, manipulation, or both.

Chiropractic is the largest “alternative” health ...