For Medical Professionals

Welcome to Centre Chiropractic

First, I am always grateful for the time and interest of medical professionals. Therefore, I aim to provide concise, clear information about chiropractic. Additionally, I will explain the treatment algorithms I follow as a practitioner, although I cannot cover every detail here.

Next, there is a wealth of information about chiropractic science, philosophy, and methods on other pages of this website. On this page, I focus on chiropractic history, research, current subluxation theories, and treatment approaches. Furthermore, I describe my practice focus, interests, and conditions appropriate for referral.

Why you may think what you may think about chiropractic

Many people have opinions about chiropractic. Often, these ideas come from personal experience, friends, relatives, or media reports. Moreover, some opinions arise from misinformation, scandal-driven media, or a lack of accurate knowledge.

For example, simple questions can help people reevaluate their views about chiropractic. If chiropractic were only a placebo, why do Medicare and third-party payors cover adjustments? Also, if chiropractors cared only about money, why did they serve 30,000 jail terms nationwide to treat patients? Additionally, if chiropractic were dangerous, why is average malpractice insurance $4,000, compared with $90,000 for medical doctors?

Furthermore, chiropractic care is available to military personnel worldwide and in VA facilities. In addition, many community members remain dedicated to chiropractic. Doctors of Chiropractic have hospital privileges across the country and serve in integrated health care departments. Regardless of your specialty, you might be surprised to learn that we are primary care practitioners in all 50 states.

A Common Sense Inquiry

Despite challenges, including difficult relations with allopaths, antagonistic media, dishonest members, and varying scopes of practice, chiropractic remains a substantial evidence-based health care protocol. However, research is still inconclusive about exactly why, when, and how chiropractic works. Regardless, if it was ineffective or dangerous, physical therapists would not lobby to adjust patients, medical doctors would not attend weekend seminars on mobilization, and osteopaths would not have integrated into the AMA.

So—why do most people think what they think about chiropractic? First, many people hold opinions about chiropractic shaped by personal experience or dramatic stories. Often, these opinions come from what feels true, not from evaluating facts. Additionally, we all have natural biases based on what we already believe.

For example, open-mindedness is rare. When people believe prayer helps healing, they notice studies that confirm it. However, skeptics focus only on studies that deny prayer’s benefits. In both cases, beliefs shape how evidence is seen.

Moreover, people can only use the information they already have. Like most of us, few take time to research deeply. Especially when a topic does not affect daily life, people rarely search for neutral, reliable sources.

A Complex and Often Dark History

Take the case of a Supreme Court case that revealed the American Medical Association had run a campaign against chiropractors for decades. The campaign, called the “Committee on Quackery,” tried to discredit the entire profession. As a result, many medical students were taught that chiropractors cared more about money than patients. Sadly, this false message shaped generations of doctors’ opinions.

Unless someone has received chiropractic care personally, they often know little about what chiropractors do. Therefore, many doctors rely only on old lessons or rumors instead of current research. I encourage medical professionals to explore modern chiropractic studies—even brief summaries can change outdated views.

During my internship at USC, I witnessed change firsthand. In short, medical interns had to complete a rotation in chiropractic care. Soon, several interns, residents, and even faculty doctors began referring patients to me.

In 1987, a federal judge found the AMA guilty of antitrust violations against chiropractic. This ruling led to several positive changes. First, the campaign ended, though media damage lasted for years. Next, the AMA had to admit its wrongdoing and apologize publicly. Then, new research funding became available for studying chiropractic care and its effects.

Changes, But Good Changes?

Also, chiropractors gained hope and pride, pushing education to higher standards. Finally, chiropractic schools expanded to five years of medical-level training and national board exams.

Unfortunately, negative effects remain. For instance, divisions exist within the chiropractic profession itself. Years of conflict left insecurities about identity and status. Consequently, some chiropractors now chase titles or employ symbols like white coats and stethoscopes to feel respected.

Ironically, these efforts copy the very medical system many patients are seeking alternatives to. Meanwhile, differences in practice methods continue across states and schools. This inconsistency makes it difficult to form clear public understanding or create unified research studies.

For example, one chiropractor may use ice therapy and long-lever adjustments. Another may use only precise, gentle, short-lever corrections. Even so, both may succeed with the same patient. Because of this, I chose the Gonstead method—it ensures consistent, specific care anywhere in the world.

First, it’s important to ask yourself how you formed your opinion about chiropractic care. Sometimes our views grow from personal experience, but other times they come from secondhand stories or bias.

Next, as both a doctor and a primary care provider, I believe my role is to serve my patients fully. Therefore, I must guide them toward any treatment that truly helps—whether that’s surgery, chiropractic, prayer, or even dancing. To ignore this duty would, in my opinion, fail the responsibility every healthcare professional holds.

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Research to Date

Over time, chiropractic research has grown tremendously. In 1980, fewer than a dozen studies were available. However, by 2004, over 3,000 studies appeared in major medical databases. This shows how much the field has changed.

Now, chiropractors know that spinal and joint problems respond well to specific adjustments. Decades of hands-on experience support this understanding. Still, research must continue so future care remains based on strong scientific evidence.

Earlier medical research in biomechanics, neurology, and soft tissue injury already described many conditions chiropractors treat. Yet, because of poor communication between professions, chiropractic was often grouped with unscientific practices. Sadly, this confusion hid the fact that “subluxation”—the chiropractic term for spinal misalignment—relates closely to sprains, strains, and early arthritis.

Ironically, the word subluxation became part of medical coding systems, but chiropractic students were told not to use it. As time passes, much valuable clinical wisdom risks being lost. Many early chiropractors who built the foundation of the field are no longer here to share their knowledge.

Theories About How Chiropractic Works

Today, new theories continue to emerge. Some focus on tissue inflammation or joint instability. Others study nerve pathways, muscle responses, and immune function. Even though chiropractic and medical traditions often emphasize different systems—nervous versus vascular—both are deeply connected in research.

Unfortunately, as science pushes for laboratory proof, many traditional yet effective treatments disappear. For example, years ago, doctors dismissed the use of cherry juice for gout. Later, when studies confirmed its benefits, the practice returned to modern medicine. Without a way to preserve chiropractic traditions, we risk losing more helpful methods before science can explain them.

Currently, chiropractic studies show mixed results—most clear, others inconclusive. The differences in training, patient cases, and research funding make it hard to compare outcomes. Until consistency improves, we must rely on data about patient safety, recovery times, and treatment costs to guide care.

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Treatment Approach

Each chiropractor’s approach depends on training, location, and patient needs. For example, a small-town doctor may evaluate a backache more exhaustively, in the absence of extensive medical resources, than one in a big city clinic.

Still, all chiropractors follow a shared standard of care. Every patient visit begins with a detailed health history and a thorough physical exam. When pain results from trauma, we rule out fractures and serious injuries first. When pain arises without trauma, we look for causes such as arthritis, infection, or referred pain from other organs.

At Centre Chiropractic, I work hard not to treat every issue as the same. After all, not every problem is a spinal one. Each case requires a unique plan based on the type, severity, and cause of the condition.

Before treatment begins, I teach patients about what’s happening in their bodies. We talk about how their condition developed, how it may progress, and which treatments can help most. Finally, lifestyle habits are reviewed, since they often play a major role in healing and long-term health.

As a 41-year IDDM patient, I have a great sensitivity to the poor job most physicians do at presenting options and information to empower patients to make informed decisions. This is a major focus of the exam and report of findings process in my clinic. Treatment consists of specific, short lever, low amplitude, high velocity adjustments to vertebrae and/or extremities with attention paid to adjusting within either the sympathetic or parasympathetic systems on any visit.

After sufficient adjustments have been administered that objective findings indicate the anterior muscular and ligamentous structures have had a chance to heal and restore proper alignment, extensive attention is paid to soft tissue rehabilitation in the form of restoring proper functional dynamics between the postural and phasic muscle systems, a primary factor in the occurrence of subluxation, and eliminating scar tissue and other myofascial adhesions via therapeutic ultrasound or cross-friction work.

Eventually patients are supported in addressing ADLs, nutrition, exercise and focus on mental emotional spiritual and physical nurturing and balance. Treatment ranges from one week to four weeks based on acuity/chronicity of the lesions and complexity of the case.

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Potential

My interest is in developing better relations and communications with all health care practitioners. This is a personal, political and professional intention for me. I left a lucrative career and came to chiropractic out of a desire to be of service; so my concern is that every member of our community who wants help has every resource available to them. This requires that our chiropractors disabuse themselves of prejudices against pharmaceuticals and surgery, and that all health care practitioners take personal responsibility for educating ourselves on the diagnostic procedures, treatment protocols, philosophy and outcomes measures of all our peers.

There was a time in practice where I, for example, could not have begun to tell you what exactly a rolfer does, how it might benefit any of my patients, or if any evidence exists in support of rofling for, say, fibromyalgia. In my opinion, for me to abdicate responsibility to harness what information is availble to me in this regard is tantamount to malpractice.

Referral to a Doctor of Chiropractic

If you have read any of the above material on the history of chiropractic or our research challenges, you can already guess that speaking in general terms about when to refer to a chiropractor is a tricky endeavor. With this in mind, it is reasonable to say that a number of case types that often frustrate medical physicians involve conditions that chiropractic physicians frequently treat; low back pain, leg and buttock pain, neck pain, TMJ disorders, and headaches.

In addition, while treatment of the chiropractic lesion still has its detractors, it is an appropriate and effective alternative to refer a patient who is not responding to your conventional care. Patients appreciate the willingness to consider other options and procedures. A 1998 survey of medical physicians indicated that 40% had referred to a chiropractor, and referrals have increased as research continues to lend importance to the role of neuromusculoskeletal dysfunction as a precipitating factor in disease and debilitation.

One of the things that is different about Centre Chiropractic is our holistic focus on extremity problems, soft tissue disorders and rehabilitation. A vast majority of the DCs in Pennsylvania are what are called “straight” chiropractors; they adjust the spine. In our office, adjusting the spine is a primary focus, however we actively address disorders at all levels possible. For instance, frozen shoulder would be addressed by:

1. assessing the cervical spine for related radiculopathies and adjusting where appropriate;
2. mobilizing and adjusting the GHJ where appropriate to restore proper joint dynamics, ROM, and restoration of synovial fluid production, stimulation of chondroblasts, etc.;
3. applying soft tissue techniques, therapeutic ultrasound and muscle stimulation to the GHJ and adhesions within the muscles of the rotator cuff where appropriate; and
4. assessment of postural/phasic muscle system imbalances with focus on supraspinatus, pec minor, teres minor, upper and lower trapezius, and rhomboids with modification of ADLs and prescription of at-home therapeutic exercises to reduce the chances of recurrence.

At Centre Chiropractic, we will only treat patients you refer to us if they are appropriate candidates for chiropractic care, and only for the conditions you refer for, unless other conditions are diagnosed during the physical exam and the patient consents to care. You will be respectfully regarded as a partner in the process, with regular reports of patient progress and consultations on treatment protocols. Most importantly, once the patient has attained the maximum therapeutic benefit, he or she is discharged.

Patients are encouraged to be self-advocating masters of their own health care. In alignment with this, we provide regular updates to our patients on current research, nutrition, diet, and exercise recommendations, advise regular check-ups with a dentist, family doctor and gynecologist, and offer support in living a balanced and positive life. There is significant evidence that the mind-body continuum is a tremendous resource in health care, and we work with patients to help them master their experience of their own bodies.

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