The late Joseph Keating, in an article for Chiropractic Technique, contended that the success of rationalism and uncritical empiricism has hardened chiropractors against the value of clinical methods. The fact is that the very philosophy of chiropractic does not lend itself to critical empirical evaluation. If chiropractic is a treatment for xyz disease, then it can and should be tested critically (eg. empirical double blind studies). However, as a non-treatment it cannot be tested. The philosophy that says there is no single cause to disease (remember vertebral subluxation causes DIS-EASE not disease) precludes proving chiropractic as an effective cure for any disease. So the very philosophy of chiropractic prevents it from being proved empirically unless we want to deny chiropractic as a seperate and distinct approach. If we do, we can empirically test and probably prove it as a fairly effective treatment for certain musculoskeletal conditions. Some in our profession, unfortunately, would be satisfied with that.
