This volume offers a study of the chiropractic's place in the health care system. The three objectives of the text include: presenting current descriptive data on chiropractics, assessing the place chiropractic fills in contemporary health care, and providing a critical data base for anticipating the future direction of chiropractic.

This book is written for use in the class room. It may, however, be studied just as easily by the field practitioner, and is not too technical in most of its parts to be readily grasped by the layman. It has grown, rather than having been written; it is the expansion of the notes which were tested in the class room for six years, and the writer believes that, with the constant arrangement and betterment to suit the requirements of the students of Chiropractic, this has created a real textbook, rendering easily understood a subject that students have always said was difficult.

This textbook introduces and explains basic chiropractic philosophy and history, principles, and applications in practice. In addition to covering chiropractic care techniques, it also discusses anatomy, biomechanics, and physiology, as well as spinal analysis and diagnostic procedures. Key scientific and philosophical issues within the chiropractic community are addressed. Clearly presented material in an easy-to-follow format defines unfamiliar terms, explains and illustrates concepts, and reinforces ideas through review and critical thinking questions. The book's broad scope and discussions of diverse topics make it ideal for students or anyone in the chiropractic community. - Topics and content parallel the test plan outlines from the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners, ensuring that all material is relevant, up-to-date, and accurate. - Well-known chapter contributors - some of the most respected and influential names in the field - give the book a balanced approach, reflecting the diversity within the profession on issues related to the science and philosophy of chiropractic. - Well-referenced discussions include the most up-to-date research. - Key terms and critical thinking/review questions in each chapter familiarize the reader with important concepts and promote a solid understanding of the material.

Chiropractic is by far the most common form of alternative medicine in the United States today, but its fascinating origins stretch back to the battles between science and religion in the nineteenth century. At the center of the story are chiropractic's colorful founders, D. D. Palmer and his son, B. J. Palmer, of Davenport, Iowa, where in 1897 they established the Palmer College of Chiropractic. Holly Folk shows how the Palmers' system depicted chiropractic as a conduit for both material and spiritualized versions of a "vital principle," reflecting popular contemporary therapies and nineteenth-century metaphysical beliefs, including the idea that the spine was home to occult forces. The creation of chiropractic, and other Progressive-era versions of alternative medicine, happened at a time when the relationship between science and religion took on an urgent, increasingly competitive tinge. Many remarkable people, including the Palmers, undertook highly personal reinterpretations of their physical and spiritual worlds. In this context, Folk reframes alternative medicine and spirituality as a type of populist intellectual culture in which ideologies about the body comprise a highly appealing form of cultural resistance.

From its very beginning, chiropractic medicine has faced challenges about the scientific validity of the treatment and the credibility of its practitioners. Since those early years, many of these criticisms have remained, but legislation, licensure, and litigation have created an environment where chiropractic care is allowed in all 50 states, and licenses are required of all chiropractors who wish to practice medicine. The implementation of the Affordable Care Act has changed the way insurance companies provide reimbursement for services by medical providers. With a greater emphasis on administratively documenting how and in what ways a particular form of treatment actually improves a patient’s health, coupled with a greater level of restriction on the types of services medical providers can offer without justification and authorization, many medical providers, including chiropractors, have had to re-examine the services they provide and how they operate. This study attempts to explore the life of chiropractors in light of all the historical and current changes taking place within the medical profession. It also seeks to understand the external and internal threats posed to chiropractors, with an eye towards understanding how and in what ways the future of medicine will impact the chiropractic profession. Despite the projected growth of job opportunities for chiropractors between 2014 and 2024, which, according to the U.S. Department of Labor is occurring at a much faster than average trajectory than other professions (U.S. Department of Labor Statistics, 2015), given the costs involved in completing chiropractic training (which can exceed $200,000) coupled with the low salary (recent data from the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics shows that the median salary for a chiropractor is $64,440 per year), along with the challenges of sustaining an individual practice (most chiropractors are self-employed in solo practice), these obstacles are formidable ones. This is particularly true in light of the recent development of large chiropractic chains such as the Joint, that offer spinal and neck adjustments at a fraction of the cost of a traditional provider. This ethnographic study consisted of systematic observation and interviews of 40 chiropractors in South Carolina from Fall 2016 to Fall 2017. Additionally, interviews were conducted with staff members, patients, and other medical providers, such as physicians, physical therapists, massage therapists, and representatives from the insurance industry about their understanding and experiences with chiropractic medicine. Phone interviews were also conducted with seven deans and provosts at chiropractic colleges around the country. In total, over 100 interviews and informal conversations occurred during the course of the project. All identifiers of participants and chiropractic colleges in the study were removed to ensure anonymity. Instead, pseudonyms were created that were known only by the author of the study. Additionally, data from the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation was obtained to document changes in the number of chiropractors who are no longer in practice in the state between 2016 and 2017.

Healing by Hand presents the first cross-cultural perspective on manual medicine studies--the practice of body therapists that is routinely overlooked by medical practitioners and social scientists. The authors describe how manual medicine is one of the primary providers of "traditional" medicine. It takes numerous forms across the world's communities, and represents beliefs and practices about healing, physical and psychological states, and the relation between culture and health. This volume is a valuable resource for manual practitioners of western medicine, including massage therapists, physical therapists, chiropractors, and osteopaths, as well as those with traditional training. It is especially recommended for courses such as medical anthropology, health and human culture, technology and the developing world, sociology of health, international health, and health care systems.