The cause of disease as it relates to chiropractic has gone through significant changes in the past 100 years. Historically, straight chiropractors saw the vertebral subluxation as the cause of all disease. This idea was clearly in conflict with medicine and precipitated much of the interprofessional animosity we know today. As the chiropractic profession developed greater understanding of health and human
function its position on the cause of disease changed. Some in the profession still hold to the traditional view of vertebral subluxation as the cause of disease, while others have totally embraced the allopathic model of medicine. Objective straight chiropractic however has taken a unique position. Since the objective of straight chiropractic does not relate to disease in any way, the issue of the cause of disease is not really a straight chiropractic one. However, since chiropractic is so often associated with disease, a position has been developed. There are probably many causes of disease and many causes of each disease. They range from the presence and virulence of an organism to the resistance of the host. Genetics and environment are two other factors. Which of these factors or causes are more important or unimportant is a discussion for the therapeutic fields that address disease.It is the position of straight chiropractic that with every person there is a need to address the lack of full innate expression as well as addressing the presence of any or all of the above. The objective straight chiropractor takes the position that it is his/her role to address the cause of the inability of the innate intelligence to be
expressed fully as this lack of expression relates to the relationship of the spine and nerve system. It is someone else’s responsibility to address the disease and its cause or causes. Whether this lack of innate expression is a causative factor in disease is not the issue. If there is no disease and the individual is experiencing less than full innate expression, chiropractic care is needed. If the individual is sick, has a medical condition and they are coincidentally subluxated, then chiropractic care is needed for that individual. Surely a sick person will benefit to some degree with a good nerve supply or an improved nerve supply, having subluxations corrected. If the chiropractor is not presenting chiropractic as the correction of the cause of disease, whether the person has a disease or not, is irrelevant to the need for chiropractic care.
