Chiropractic is outside the box of medicine, the treatment of disease. When we address disease in any manner we step outside the chiropractic box and back into the therapeutic outside-in medical box. In doing that, as chiropractors, we run the risk of inadvertently dragging chiropractic back in there with us. While we work with matter (the spine and nerve system) we are not addressing the matter. We are addressing the metaphysical link between intelligence and matter. That’s what makes chiropractic different, in my opinion. It is our reason for existence and is the “box of chiropractic” (outside the box of medical practice and perhaps health care in general). The purpose/title of this blog is getting chiropractic outside the box that we have gotten ourselves into since 1895 and into the box of the chiropractic objective and philosophy. We have our own box. It is not a medical or theological box. Some of the components/contents may also be the same as the contents of the theological and medical boxes but we recognize them as uniquely our own whether or not they exist as part of the contents of another box. Medicine deals with the spine and nerve system as we do but they address it as part of a different “box,” the disease treating, condition addressing box. Theology deals with some of the same metaphysical assumptions as we do but they address them in a different manner, for different reasons and with a different objective.
The Thirty-three Principles and the chiropractic objective are the walls, the top and bottom of the chiropractic box. There are, in all likelihood, many other boxes besides theology and medicine. Some may even be congruent with chiropractic, just as a recent shipment I received of a patio set that had components of a chaise lounge in one box, components of the table in another, and the parts of chairs in two more. Like that shipment, the boxes of our lives may have different but congruent components. However, some boxes may have incongruent components. In the same delivery from UPS, I received a new radio/cassette player (yes, I still use cassette players!). While it was important and valuable to me, it was in no way related to the objective of assembling the patio set.
We must learn to separate the different boxes in the world and only relate to the ones relevant to us and to what we do in accomplishing our chiropractic objective. Too many chiropractors have yet to learn that.
In Virginia, Chiropractic liscenses are regualted thru the Department of Health Regulatory Boards via the Board of Medicine which also falls within the scope of the Department of Health Regualtory Boards.
Health Regulatory Boards encompass the Disease Sciences (medicine is defined as the dx & rx of disease-Dorlands Medical Dictionary) as well as the Life Sciences (which currently is no definitive definition, yet under which Chiropractic naturally belongs).
The Life Sciences cannot be placed in a box- yet Chiropractic as a science, art and philosophy should assume it’s rightful place as the guiding light with respect & dignity for Life itself. That is the role that we as Chiropractors are called to preform with genuine humility. It is as simple as that.
I think the cassette player is an important an intregral part of assemblying the patio set particularily if you choose to listen to music or other peoples thots while engaged in the task