Anti-vaccinationism in chiropractic

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Anti-vaccinationism in chiropractic is widespread,[1][2] but there are notable differences within the trade.[3] Chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine founded on the idea that all disease is caused by disruption of the flow of "innate" (or innate intelligence) in the spine, by so-called vertebral subluxations – a pseudoscientific concept. Over time chiropractic has divided into "straights" who adhere to the subluxation theory and "mixers" who adhere more closely to a reality-based view of anatomy. "Straight" chiropractors are very likely to be anti-vaccination,[4] but all chiropractic training tends to reduce acceptance of vaccines.[5]

Chiropractic anti-vaccinationism has led to negative impacts on both public health and mainstream acceptance of chiropractic.[6]

  1. ^ Busse JW, Morgan L, Campbell JB (2005). "Chiropractic antivaccination arguments". J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 28 (5): 367–73. doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2005.04.011. PMID 15965414. It is certainly the case that most chiropractic writings on vaccination focus almost exclusively on the negative aspects, either ignoring the huge amount of evidence supporting the benefits of vaccination or summarily dismissing this as "bad science" or government/industrial propaganda.
  2. ^ Frketich, Joanna (2015-02-27). "Anti-vaccination attitudes high among alternative health care providers". The Hamilton Spectator. ISSN 1189-9417. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
  3. ^ Wardle, Jon; Frawley, Jane; Steel, Amie; Sullivan, Elizabeth (2016). "Complementary medicine and childhood immunisation: A critical review". Vaccine. 34 (38): 4484–4500. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.07.026. ISSN 0264-410X. PMID 27475472.
  4. ^ Vernon, Leonard F.; Kent, Christopher (2009). "SAGE Journals: Your gateway to world-class journal research". Complementary Health Practice Review. 14: 36–50. doi:10.1177/1533210109333771.
  5. ^ Gleberzon, Brian; Lameris, Marlee; Schmidt, Catherine; Ogrady, Jillian (September 2013). "On Vaccination & Chiropractic: when ideology, history, perception, politics and jurisprudence collide". The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association. 57 (3): 205–213. ISSN 0008-3194. PMC 3743646. PMID 23997246.
  6. ^ Campbell JB, Busse JW, Injeyan HS (2000). "Chiropractors and vaccination: a historical perspective". Pediatrics. 105 (4): e43. doi:10.1542/peds.105.4.e43. PMID 10742364.