Chiropractic as a Cure-All

In Volume III, No. 3 we published an article concerning the difficulty that the straights have in communicating their philosophy to the mixer element in the profession. We somewhat humorously (at least to us) implied that this inability was because mixers do not understand the English language, have a hearing disorder or are brain damaged. From that article we received one or two unfriendly responses. Apparently some straights are giving us the names of colleagues who they think are interested in the Pivot, but who are really not. Be that as it may, we really tried to explain this difference of opinion in a humorous manner. However, perhaps it’s time we got serious. This lack of understanding, if that is what it is, is not a funny matter.
In a recent issue of a national publication, an article appeared concerning the issue of professional unity. The article was written by the publication’s associate editor who time and again has made it clear that he does not care for straights or their philosophy. In this particular article he said concerning the adjustment, “To the straight, it is the Alpha and Omega of health, and the subluxation is the cause of all disease.” Further on he says, “How any thinking individual can look at me and say that subluxation is the cause of all disease with a straight (no pun intended) face, is beyond comprehension. If this were the case, then the correction of subluxation would cure all disease and the world would be healthy and free from sickness.” The above statements were made by a supposedly intelligent, well-read, knowledgeable author.
The writings of B.J. Palmer, R.W. Stephenson, and others relate to the chiropractic adjustment as a method of correcting the cause of DIS-EASE, not disease. There is a big difference. Even if we could excuse the lack of knowledge of historical straight chiropractic, there is no excuse for a lack of knowledge of present straight chiropractic’s w)ÿ3 position.
In 1972, a spokesman for the straight chiropractic profession said, “chiropractic is not a cure-all, in fact it is a cure-nothing.” That statement has been echoed thousands of times in the past fifteen years. At least two chiropractic colleges that identify themselves as straights have taught their graduates and students that chiropractic cures no diseases. Further, they have been taught that chiropractic treats no diseases or symptoms. The purpose of an adjustment is to restore the integrity of the nervous system so that the innate intelligence of the body can better express itself, period! Chiropractic does not treat or cure disease. Literally dozens of spokespersons on thousands of occasions and in hundreds of articles in a dozen or more publications have echoed this, the cornerstone of the straight chiropractic philosophy, again and again. Chiropractic does not claim to cure all or any diseases!
I have never heard of a straight chiropractor claiming or presenting chiropractic as a cure-all, either publicly or even in private. So, when the associate editor of a publication purported to have a circulation of over 60,000 says that the straight believes that “the subluxation is the cause of all disease,” something is drastically wrong. It is not a funny matter, it is a serious problem. It is not a lack of communication. We have made our position clear. I frankly do not know what else we could say. I am convinced now it is not a matter of them (the mixers) not understanding what we are saying. They understand the difference between disease and DIS-EASE, cure-all and cure-nothing. They know the difference between treatment of condition and correction of subluxation so the body can better express itself. They may not agree with it but they sure as heck understand it. The above statements are not an indication of failure to understand. They represent intellectual dishonesty and journalistic irresponsibility and that is far worse because there is nothing the straight movement can do to correct the problem and no amount of positional statements will rectify it.
The mixers can disagree with our position but should at least have enough integrity to honestly present our position and not distort it with smokescreens like the cure-all one