According to Healthcare.gov, a primary care provider in the US is “a physician (MD or DO), nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist or physician assistant, as allowed under state law, who provides, coordinates or helps a patient access a range of healthcare services.” A growing movement exists to expand who can act as a primary care privider (PCP). Chiropractors have been a part of this expansion, but is that wise? This is the question recently asked by Katie Suleta of THE AMERICAN COUNCIL ON SCIENCE AND HEALTH In it, she explains that:
- chiropractors would like to act as PCPs,
- chiropractors are not trained in pharmacology,
- chiropractors receive some training in supplements,
- chiropractors wish to avoid pumping the body full of “synthetic” hormones and substances.
Subsequently, she adresses the chiropractic profession’s stance on vaccines.
First, look at similar professional organizations to establish a reasonable expectation. The American Medical Association has firmly taken a stance on vaccines and provides resources for physicians to help communicate with patients. There is no question about where they stand on the topic, whether it be vaccines in general or COVID-19 vaccines specifically. Ditto the American Osteopathic Association and American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. There is a contingent of vaccine-hesitant MDs and DOs. There is also an anti-vax contingent of MDs and DOs. The vaccine hesitant can be considered misguided and cautious, while anti-vaxxers often have more misinformation and an underlying political agenda. The two groups pose a threat but are, thankfully, the minority. They’re also clearly acting against the recommendations of their professional organizations.
Let’s now turn to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA). Unlike the American Medical Association or American Osteopathic Association, they seem to take no stance on vaccines. None. Zip. Zilch. As of this writing, if you go to the ACA website and search for “vaccines,” zero results are returned. Venturing over to the ACA-CDID, there is a category under their “News and Articles” section for ‘Vaccines.’ This seems promising! However, when you click on it, it returns one article on influenza vaccines from Fox News from 2017. It’s not an original article. It’s not a perspective piece. No recommendations are to be found—nothing even on the COVID-19 vaccines. Basically, there is effectively nothing on ACA-CDID’s website either. We’re oh for two.
The last one we’ll try is DABCI University. No, it’s not a professional organization, but it does train DCs. The words ‘university’ and ‘internist’ are involved, so they must talk about vaccines…right? Wrong again. While there is a lot of content available only to paying members and students, the sections of their website that are publicly available are noticeably short on vaccine information. There is a section dedicated to articles, currently including five whole articles, and not a single one talked about vaccines. One report addresses the pharmacokinetics of coffee enemas, but none talks about one of the most fundamental tools PCPs have to help prevent illness.
Why It’s Important
Chiropractic was defined by DD. Palmer, its founder, as “a science of healing without drugs.” It relies on spinal manipulation. In traditional chiropractic, there is no room for medications at all. A rift has developed within the profession, and some chiropractors, those seeking that internal medicine certification, “try to avoid pumping the body with synthetic hormones and other prescriptions.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, several prominent chiropractors publicly pushed anti-vaccine views. To highlight just a few prominent examples: Vax Con ’21, Mile Hi Chiro, and Ben Tapper. Vax Con ’21 was organized and orchestrated by the Chiropractic Society of Wisconsin. It featured Judy Mikovits, of Plandemic fame, as a speaker and touted her book with a forward written by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. It offered continuing education units (CEUs) to DCs to attend this anti-vaccine conference that peddled misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines and other prevention measures. Healthcare providers are often required to complete a certain number of continuing education units to maintain licensure, ensuring that they stay current and sharp as healthcare evolves or, in this case, devolves.
This conference was not unique in this either. Mile Hi Chiro was just held in Denver in September of this year, had several questionable speakers (including RFK and Ben Tapper of Disinformation Dozen fame), and offered continuing education. If professional conferences offer continuing education units for attendees and push vaccine misinformation, that should concern everyone. Especially if the profession in question wants to act as PCPs.
Despite training in a system that believes “the body has an innate intelligence, and the power to heal itself if it is functioning properly, and that chiropractic care can help it do that,” without medications, but frequently with supplements, roughly 58% of Oregon’s chiropractors were vaccinated against COVID-19. That said, their training and inclination, along with the silence of their professional organizations and the chiropractic conferences featuring anti-vaccine sentiment, make them a profession that, at the very least, doesn’t consider vaccinations or medications viable health alternatives. We’re now talking about an entire profession that wants to be PCPs.
Irrespective of your belief about the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination, the germ theory of disease remains unchallenged. Anyone unwilling to work to treat and prevent infectious diseases within their community with the most effective means at our disposal should not be allowed to dispense medical advice. Chiropractors lack the basic training that a PCP should have. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I want healthcare accessible for everyone. But, if you’re looking for a PCP, consider going to an MD, DO, NP, or PA – they come fully equipped for your primary care needs.
Regular readers of this blog will be aware that I have discussed the thorny issue of chiros and vaccinations many times before, e.g.:
- Chiropractic and Public Health
- The International Chiropractors Association’s Statement on Vaccination
- The General Chiropractic Council’s ‘Registrant Survey 2020’ has just been published
- Far too many chiropractors believe that vaccinations do not have a positive effect on public health
- Vaccination: chiropractors “espouse views which aren’t evidence based”
- Patients consulting chiropractors, homeopaths, or naturopaths are less likely to agree to the flu jab
- “The uncensored truth” about COVID-19 vaccines” … as told by some chiro loons
- Beliefs and behaviors of US chiropractors
- Media attention forces (some) chiropractors to get their act together
- Ever wondered why so many chiropractors are profoundly anti-vax?
I agree with Katie Suleta that the issue is important and thank her for raising it. I also agree with her conclusion that, if you’re looking for a PCP, consider going to an MD, DO, NP, or PA – they come fully equipped for your primary care needs.
Do not consult chiropractors.
6 Responses to Chiropractors Aren’t The Solution To The Primary Care Shortage: the thorny issue of vaccination
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It’s interesting to see which chiropractic institutions support the World Health Organisation’s Vision and Mission in Immunisation and Vaccines 2015-2030. Item 8 of the following Position Statement produced by The International Chiropractic Education Collaboration is devoid of any mention of American chiropractic establishments supporting immunisation:
https://www.aecc.ac.uk/media/4251/educational-statements-with-immunisation-word-version.pdf
For the umpteenth time: Why does anyone study, train and qualify as a chiropractor and not as a physiotherapist, osteopath or MD doctor?
Answer: Because ‘chiropractic’ was always designed and intended to be an alternative to regular othodox medical practice (see D D and B J Palmers’ many pronouncements).
How come so many chiropractors seem not to know that?
Perhaps they don’t care for the expectation to insert their fingers into an anus or vagina or look in people mouths or the likes.
Personally, I’d never choose to be a dentist. Looking into a stinky mouth all day ?
Richard,
An osteopath? Palmer stole the farce of chiro from the madness of Still, so essentially the same nonsense (except nearly in the USA where they now receive medical training).
By the way, we have moved to Tasmania, on the banks of the Tamar about a kilometre from the sea, and are 22.5 metres from the water at high tide. I know because I measured it. It is unbelievable gorgeous and peaceful.
Frank
If the answer to any (any and all) question is chiro, then the wrong question has been asked.
exception: “which treatment should be avoided at all cost?”