title: Chiropractic: origins, controversies, and contributions.
abstract: Chiropractic is an important component of the US health care system and the largest alternative medical profession. In this overview of chiropractic, we examine its history, theory, and development; its scientific evidence; and its approach to the art of medicine. Chiropractic's position in society is contradictory, and we reveal a complex dynamic of conflict and diversity. Internally, chiropractic has a dramatic legacy of strife and factionalism. Externally, it has defended itself from vigorous opposition by conventional medicine. Despite such tensions, chiropractors have maintained a unified profession with an uninterrupted commitment to clinical care. While the core chiropractic belief that the correction of spinal abnormality is a critical health care intervention is open to debate, chiropractic's most important contribution may have to do with the patient-physician relationship.
authors.affiliation: Center for Alternative Medicine Research, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass 02215, USA.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Kaptchuk
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Eisenberg
mesh_terms: D002684:Chiropractic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D014481:United States