There doesn’t seem to be any reliable evidence validating manual therapy i.e. chiropractic for “fixing” scoliotic spinal curvatures.
You can find chiros claiming to be specialists who can do this (and in classic “trust no others” snake oil fashion, warning against chiros who don’t have their Special Expertise).
Here’s the view of a respected no-bullshit chiropractor* on the subject.
Let’s say that chiropractic works a little, as the gold standard web site for such judgments says:
And let’s allow that physical therapy, for a lot of indications, may not work any better:
Here’s why I still think physical therapy is legit while chiropractic is woo:
Look at the journals for both. With exceptions, chiropractic research is, like chiropractic x-rays, a marketing gimmick to prove to the public that chiropractic works. Whereas, although not all physical therapy research is good research, the aim is to improve what physical therapists do. Over time, physical therapy will change and improve, while chiropractic stays right where it is.
There is no such thing as alternative medicine. If it actually works, it is medicine. And Doctors are trained on it. Chiropractors are not Doctors.
The fact that there exist some certification process chiropractors give themselves in chiropractic accredited schools accredited by chiropractors is meaningless.
Today I learned Scientology is officially a tax free Religious organization. Recognized by the US government.
I would certainly not put nurse practitioner in the same category as chiropractors and I wouldn’t say they have relatively little training. Quite the opposite. And they are legally able to prescribe medication.
There’s a guy down here called “Doc Tony” that advertises a lot, a chiropractor. He makes fun of the ambulance chasers (Dont call them, has pet ferrets- the law firm is Farah & Farah) and says “if you’re in an accident, I’m the only Doc you should call… call me first. I’m the doc you can trust, Doc Tony… I’m real!” Guy was an ex-prize fighter or something. Yuck.
Early in my pharmacy career, I worked with a pharmacist who went to chiropractic school. He got a lot of heat from his professors because he didn’t have a problem with “traditional” medicine. He also had one classmate who was in his freshman year for the 3rd or 4th time, because he was convinced that if he was a doctor, regardless of what kind, women would trample each other to have sex with him. One has to wonder how he got in, although I suspect the school didn’t mind having him there as long as the tuition checks were good.
It is not how it used to be. You once needed at least a year of critical care, plus previous nursing experience, to get into an NP program. These days you can become an NP fresh out of an online nursing program with very limited bedside experience.
The scope of NP practice, including the prescribing of some medications, is (dangerously) widening. This is due to several reasons, including the fact that there are significant cost savings in employing an NP vs. an MD or DO. Primarily, though, it is the result of strong NP advocacy and lobbying from the ANA.
There are some outstanding NPs, of course. But there are an increasing number who practice with insufficient training, inadequate education, and too little practical experience.
A typical chiro tactic is to trumpet limited research to “prove” that chiropractic is effective for internal medical complaints. One you frequently hear about is how neck cracking supposedly lowers blood pressure.
Even if you believe that’s true based on a single published short-term study involving a small number of patients, the technique described is a specialized one few chiros use, plus neck cracking carries a risk of rare but devastating injury (hence the excellent advice to never let a chiropractor near your neck).
As the laying on of hands is therapeutic for some patients with chronic pain at least temporarily, it may not be a terrible idea to use a chiropractor’s services if they know their limitations. But I’d far sooner consult a qualified physical therapist whose livelihood doesn’t depend on selling useless and potentially dangerous woo.
A friend I had way back when not only regularly went to a chiropractor, but also took her dog for adjustments. I thought that was a bit out there, but she was a nice person otherwise.
As for people wanting to be called Doctor, I recall a friend of my parents - he got a PhD in a liberal arts field and insisted on being called Doctor. And, yes, he was an ass long before he got the degree.