Episode 11: The Truth About Chiropractic – Debunking Common Myths
Welcome back to another edition of Ask the Chiropractor! I am Dr. Brant Hulsebus, a proud Palmer College of Chiropractic graduate and the team chiropractor for the Rockford IceHogs, practicing right here in Rockford, Illinois.
Thank you for joining us for Episode 11 of our 12-part Wellness Lifecycle series. Over the last ten episodes, we have broken down how chiropractic works and explored the most common reasons people visit our clinic. Today, we are diving into something a little different: the truth behind the myths, rumors, and false statements that have surrounded chiropractic care over the years.
Myth #1: The “Towel Yank” and Gross Manipulations
If you spend time on YouTube or social media, you might have seen videos of people wrapping a towel around a patient’s neck and yanking on it, or performing massive, forceful twists on the entire spine. Let me be clear: that is not real chiropractic care.
I never took a class in chiropractic school that taught me to yank someone with a towel. True chiropractic care is incredibly precise. In our Rockford clinic, we isolate individual vertebrae through a comprehensive chiropractic exam and X-rays. We aim for a specific bone using a highly precise line of drive and torque. We never grab an entire chunk of your spine and just pull. In fact, gross manipulations are not endorsed by our national associations, and almost no malpractice carrier will cover a doctor who performs them.
Myth #2: Chiropractic Adjustments Are Dangerous
Every now and then, you will hear a rumor that adjusting the neck increases the risk of a stroke. This is a thoroughly debunked myth. If you look at peer-reviewed research on platforms like PubMed, you will find that chiropractic is incredibly safe.
So, where did this rumor come from? It is based on a quarter-truth. If a person is experiencing a hemorrhaging blood vessel in their neck, their number one symptom is severe neck pain. Naturally, many people with severe neck pain seek out a chiropractor. In chiropractic college, we are extensively trained to identify these exact medical emergencies so we know when it is not safe to adjust someone. If a medical doctor turns that same patient’s head to examine them, it’s considered a diagnosis; if a chiropractor does it, the profession gets blamed.
Historically, there was a massive bias against us. Up until the early 1990s, the American Medical Association (AMA) actively campaigned to ruin the chiropractic profession. A chiropractor named Chester Wilk actually sued the AMA for antitrust violations—and he won! But when an organization spreads misinformation for nearly nine decades, those lies become deeply ingrained in the public mind.
The greatest proof of our safety is our malpractice insurance. Chiropractors pay some of the lowest malpractice rates of any healthcare provider. For perspective, my former associate paid less for an entire year of malpractice coverage than a spinal orthopedic surgeon pays for a single day. If we were truly dangerous, our insurance rates would be astronomical.
Myth #3: That Popping Noise is Bones Cracking
Many people worry that the popping sound during an adjustment is the sound of bones grinding or ligaments snapping. Some even remember their grandmother warning them that “cracking your knuckles gives you arthritis.”
The truth is much simpler: it is just basic physics. When a spinal joint is misaligned, the body locks it down, and pressure builds up inside the joint fluid. When we perform an adjustment and release that joint, the pressure drops quickly, causing gases to be released. This is called a cavitation. It is the exact same physics as the “pop” or “hiss” you hear when you open a pressurized can of soda. We are not snapping ligaments, and it certainly does not cause arthritis!
Myth #4: Chiropractors Aren’t “Real” Doctors
A doctor is someone who has earned a doctorate degree. After completing four years of college for my Bachelor of Science, I went on to chiropractic school for ten rigorous trimesters. Upon graduation, I earned a Doctorate of Chiropractic.
I am a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC), not a Medical Doctor (MD) or a Doctor of Osteopathy (DO). Just like you call your dentist “Doctor” because of their specialized doctorate degree, chiropractors use the title to reflect our extensive specialized education in the spine and nervous system.
The Chiropractic Solution
At the end of the day, the science and research speak for themselves. We provide safe, precise, and highly educated care to help your body function at its best. If you ever have questions about chiropractic, or if you want to see the research and data we rely on, my door is always open.
Don’t let outdated myths keep you from achieving optimal health. Contact our Rockford clinic today to schedule a precise, scientifically-backed spinal evaluation!
Remember, if you have a question about chiropractic care, the best person to ask is a chiropractor. Thanks for tuning in, and I’ll see you next week!
Want more? First, check out the video link above. Secondly, go to our blog page. Lastly, listen to our podcast. And if you want to take the same supplements Dr. Hulsebus takes, click here to pick them up next time you’re in.
Previous Episode: Episode 10: Aging Without Limits – The Truth About Spinal Arthritis
Next Episode: Episode 12: Wrapping It All Up