Pediatric Chiropractic Care: Scientifically Indefensible?

[HuckleB]

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=4950

"In a paper published in 2008, two academic chiropractors offered this observation: “The health claims made by chiropractors with respect to the application of manipulation as a health care intervention for pediatric health conditions continue to be supported by only low levels of scientific evidence. Chiropractors continue to treat a wide variety of pediatric health conditions.”1

Despite lack of support by the medical and scientific community, chiropractic treatment of children is growing in popularity, and more chiropractors are specializing in “chiropractic pediatrics.”

...

There is no credible evidence to support the contention that “subluxation correction” will restore or maintain health or that such subluxations even exist.10,11,12 There are hundreds of subluxation-based studies published in chiropractic journals supporting chiropractic treatment for children but only a few studies disputing such treatment. I suspect that most medical researchers feel that claims based on the chiropractic vertebral subluxation theory are too implausible to warrant investigation. But such claims should not go unchallenged, especially when they involve treatment of children.

...

Spinal manipulation has the potential to injure the spine of a child. A systematic review of 13 studies published up to June 2004 uncovered 14 significant manipulation-related injuries in children up to18 years of age, 9 of which were serious (e.g., subarachnoidal hemorrhage, paraplegia) and 2 of which were fatal (one child died from a brain hemorrhage and another from dislocation of the atlas following neck manipulation). Ten of the injuries were attributed to manipulation done by chiropractors, 1 to manipulation by a physiotherapist, and 1 to manipulation by a medical doctor; 2 injuries were caused by unspecified providers of manipulation. In 20 cases of harm caused by delayed diagnosis as a result of using manipulation, 7 involved a delayed diagnosis of cancer; 2 children died because of delayed treatment for meningitis.5 The incidence of spinal injuries in children is reported to be 2 to 5% of all spine injuries.21

..."


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Yes, the question is rhetorical.

[Dorian Gray]

1. Oh My God!

Do people really subject their children to chiropractic manipulations regularly?

That's insane.

(And I say that as an adult who has been to a chiropractor a few times. Two practitioners I have liked. One I have dislike immensely. Thinking about it, the one I disliked immensely would have no problem treating a child, I bet. He was a total insane quack and wannabe cult leader.)

[supernova]

2. Who the hell takes there kid to a chiropractor?

:wtf:

[HuckleB]

3. I'm guessing that it's the same people who don't want to know what's in their supplements.

[Codeine]

4. That is seriously disturbing.

Who the hell could be that stupid?!

[EvolveOrConvolve]

5. Wow - just wow

They admit that there's very little evidence it works on children, and continue to perform the treatments. Greed. Mind-blowing, naked fucking greed.