7 minute read
CHIROPRACTIC PHILOSOPHY
Adaptability is not merely a sign of life. I might suggest it is the physical manifestati on of the presence of life itself. Let me explain in this short treati se and we will see if my words off er suffi cient cause for this considerati on.
The word adapt can be traced to the 1300’s and refers to the ability “to undergo modifi cati on to fi t new circumstances.” The degree to which a living thing adapts determines its ability to not only thrive, but to even survive. Survival is all about adapti ng to stressors encountered by a living thing.
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As an example, as children many of us played a role in spinning a merrygo-round as fast as possible while one daring friend tried to stay on the quickly twirling playground equipment. When you stayed as close to the center as possible, the centrifugal force was less and it was easier to adapt. Once you adapted improperly, you found yourself outside the center, now working far harder to be thrown off by forces to which you could not adapt. At one point, your arms would be straining to keep your grip before you were eventually tossed off , fl ying through the air and hopefully landing with relati ve safety.
Odd illustrati on you say? Let’s make this an analogy of our Chiropracti c philosophy. We know that the forces of Universal Intelligence tend to be destructi ve toward structural matt er. Liken these to the forces pulling the child off the merry-go-round. At the same ti me, we will liken the forces exerted by the child to fi ght this, to the forces of Innate Intelligence. Innate Intelligence fi ghts the forces att empti ng to break down the matt er of the body. We recognize this as an intelligent functi on, not merely one of randomness or “luck.”
The forces of Universal Intelligence work to create entropy in matt er. Entropy is the process of breaking down matt er to its simplest units, while Innate Intelligence resists with its own eff orts. Innate forces can be considered as forces of entropy resistance. As long as a living thing is not overcome by forces of entropy, it remains. When adaptati on completely fails, as in the child being
thrown off , life ceases to exist.
The coordinated eff ort used to fi ght entropy in our example is litt le diff erent from the way the Innate Intelligence of your body resists entropy in order to maintain a state of health. Current scienti fi c research shows that as a state of entropy increases within an individual, health decreases. Likewise, as the ability to resist entropy increases, health increases. Even more interesti ng, as the fl ow of informati on decreases, health decreases.
Both of these concepts fi t well within our Chiropracti c philosophy. The scienti fi c fi nding of a diminished ability to adapt results in decreased health is a foundati onal concept in Chiropracti c. The purpose of a mental impulse is a directi ve to a ti ssue cell for a moment in ti me. As such, this informati on is vital to the healthy functi on of ti ssue cells. When this quanti ty fl ow of informati on is impeded, these researchers suggest that health is unquesti onably decreased. Chiropracti c’s vertebral subluxati on, by defi niti on, is just such an informati onal interference, resulti ng in reduced ability to reduce forces of entropy. We
recognize this from the Chiropracti c analysis which seeks to identi fy diminished adaptability signifying the diminished mental impulse supply, to the specifi c adjustment that results in restoring adaptability and therefore opti mal health.
In summary, unimpeded communicati on from Innate Intelligence results in resisti ng entropy, and the level of entropy resistance is commensurate with adaptability, and therefore proporti onal to health.
ADAPTING TO THE MERRY-GO-ROUND OF LIFE
Rob Sinnott , DC, FPhC
THE FUTURE WITH CHIROPRACTIC PHILOSOPHY
Peter Kevorkian, DC
As we look to the future of our profession, it is critical that we remain grounded in the vitalistic perspective of our philosophy. It will allow appropriate understanding and development of the science and art.
When DD Palmer pushed on the spine of Harvey Lillard our profession was born. It is likely that DD thought for a moment that he found the “cure for deafness.” Aft er observing other changes in people’s physiology, he thought he found the “cure for disease.” Only through his curiosity and logical explorati on did he fully appreciate the magnitude and depth of what he discovered. This explorati on sparked the formulati on and development of chiropracti c philosophy
I remember my fi rst philosophy class in chiropracti c college. We were taught that chiropracti c philosophy gave us our “why” and that chiropracti c is a philosophy, science, and art. I studied Stephenson’s thirty-three principles, the chiropracti c triune of life, inducti ve and deducti ve reasoning, concepts of mechanism and vitalism. Although there are principles and concepts that defi ne what we call chiropracti c philosophy, I propose that it is much more than a regurgitati on of memorized phrases of dogma. Chiropracti c philosophy provides a framework and foundati on from which to observe and employ the science and the artf orm. It is a dynamic explorati on and an acti ve engagement of curiosity. Chiropracti c philosophy is not a stati c set of rules. It is a dynamic process of systemati zed deducti ve logic to off er insight and understanding to our world and what we off er with our unique service. It has and should conti nue to evolve.
The core value of our philosophical ideal is that there is order and organizati on to the universe. If indeed we accept this premise, we can deduce that all things that exist and happen in the universe, do so out of intelligent design. This percepti on can change meaning and can change how things infl uence us individually and as a culture. Our philosophy off ers perspecti ve and hence can provide directi on on what to do.
As our knowledge grows, our philosophy also grows. I believe it is our responsibility to stand on the shoulders of the forefathers and foremothers of our profession. Philosophical growth and development are as important as the advancement of our techniques and the scienti fi c inquiry. This does not nullify or change the fundamental principles; it should enhance them. The major premise remains constant. The logic of deducti ve reasoning remains constant. And the applicati on of the principles and the philosophy should be molded to the needs and language of the ti mes.
The world needs our perspecti ve. It provides insight to feel empowered. It allows people an appreciati on for the brilliance of natural law and insight into how to align bett er with those laws. I can only speculate where the world would be today if all the scienti sts, lawmakers and politi cians had our philosophical perspecti ve through the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As we look to the future of our profession, it is criti cal that we remain grounded in the vitalisti c perspecti ve of our philosophy. It will allow appropriate understanding and development of the science and art. It will off er the world a balance to the mechanisti c viewpoint of the world. Holding true to our philosophy as we grow in knowledge will always humble us. No matt er how much we know, there will be more that we don’t know. This perspecti ve is the key to ensuring curiosity and conti nuing to pursue understanding.
The analysis and adjustment of spinal subluxati ons needs to remain central to the service of chiropracti c. I believe how we view the subluxati on phenomena and how we address it will change as we evolve our philosophical understanding. The adjustment will be considered less a “correcti ve” process and more an “opti mally adapti ve” process. Scienti fi c investi gati on will strive to determine salutogenic change and input rather than pathogenic diagnosis and treatments.
Without clarity of our philosophy (our why) we will by default fall into the philosophy and perspecti ves that are dominant in the culture, the narrati ve of the ti mes. With philosophical clarity, we become thought leaders and help heal and advance humanity.
