What We DO NOT Do and Why

At Gelley Chiropractic, we provide treatment based on the latest research, and:


We DO NOT provide long-term treatment programs or 'contracts'

  • The time required for treatment and recovery is different for each person. While research has shown that some conditions require more treatment over a longer period, the length and type of treatment should be determined by the progress assessed at each appointment.
     

We DO NOT support the existence of/or provide treatment for ‘vertebral subluxations’

  • The term 'vertebral subluxation' was coined in 1895, and there is no evidence of scientific quality that indicates vertebral subluxations exist or even impact a person's health or well-being. 

 
We DO NOT use surface EMG to diagnose ‘subluxations’ and monitor a patient’s response to chiropractic care

  • There is no credible research that provides evidence that surface EMG provides an objective measurement of overall spinal health by detecting electrical activity in the muscles along the spine. 

We DO NOT X-ray all patients, or use x-rays to identify ‘vertebral subluxations’

  • Since vertebral subluxations are a pseudoscientific diagnosis, they can not be identified on x-ray. 
  • Current evidence-based practic guidelines advise against the regular use of imaging (X-ray, CT, and MRI) for patients with uncomplicated spine pain. 

We DO NOT support the use of multiple x-rays to monitor a patient’s response to chiropractic care

  • X-rays rarely show the cause of spinal pain and are only helpful in a minority of people who have a pathology such fracture, tumor, or inflammatory arthritis.
  • X-rays may show degenerative discs, bone spurs, and facet joint arthritis, but these findings are very common in people without pain and become common with aging.
  • An x-ray does not indicate how much pain you feel or how disabled you are. 

We DO NOT provide chiropractic treatment for non-musculoskeletal conditions such as high blood pressure, allergies, asthma, dysmenorrhea, and infertility etc.

  • The most recent comprehensive study (a systematic review) published in 2021 found no evidence of an effect of spinal manipulation (adjustments) for the management of non-musculoskeletal disorders including infantile colic, childhood asthma, hypertension, primary dysmenorrhea and allergies. 

We DO NOT support misinformation such as ‘bone out of place’, ‘spinal misalignment’, ‘slipped disc’, ‘rotated pelvis/hips’, and other misconceptions

  • The use of terms such as bone out of place, spinal misalignment, slipped disc, and rotated pelvis/hips does not reflect current knowledge of anatomy or the sources of spinal pain.  These terms are out-of-date and should be abandoned.
  • Numerous scientific studies report that variations in posture, such as unlevel shoulders or hips, are not a source of pain and are often present in people without musculoskeletal pain. 

References

  1. Bussieres A. et al. Evidence-based practice, research utilization, and knowledge translation in chiropractic: a scoping review. BMC Complimentary & Alternative Medicine (2016). 16:216
  2. Cote P. et al. A united statement of the global research community against the pseudo-scientific claim that chiropractic care boosts immunity (2020). Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 28:21
  3. Evans M. et al. Chiropractic wellness on the web: the content and quality of information related to wellness and primary prevention on the internet (2016). Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 19:4
  4. Harvey K. A critical appraisal of evidence and arguments used by Australian chiropractors to promote therapeutic interventions (2016). Chiropractic Journal of Australia 44:3
  5. Keating J. et al. Subluxation: dogma or science? Chiropractic & Osteopathy (2005) 13:17
  6. Mirtz T. & Perle S. The prevalence of the term subluxation in the North American English language Doctor of Chiropractic programs (2011). Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 19:14
  7. Reggars J. Chiropractic at the crossroads or are we just going in circles (2011). Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 19:11 
  8. Schneider M. et al. Spine care as a framework for the chiropractic identity (2016). Journal of Chiropractic Humanities 23:1
  9. Simpson J. The five eras of chiropractic and the future of chiropractic as seen through the eyes of a participant observer (2012). Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 20:1