read this: from
www.Parkercc.edu
Principles vs. Practices by
Dr. James W. Parker
Doesn't this "straight," philosophical language make sense to both the mixers and straights? Why can't we unify around it?
The Body is an electrical (energy) machine, first, and a chemical (matter) factory, second. Electrical (life/intelligence) develops and controls chemical (matter). Simply stated, DCs are electrical (energy) doctors, MDs are chemical (matter) doctors. Chiropractic is based on a Science, a Philosophy and an Art (SPA). The Science is a principle, the Philosophy is a principle, but the Art is not a principle. It is a practice.
Science
The Science of chiropractic is based on the innate normal function of life energy, primarily through the nervous system, which is the master system, both motor and sensory. It controls and regulates all other systems (Gray's Anatomy), and normally functions 100% quantitatively and qualitatively both motor and sensory. Even though the body is basically chemical, life itself is electrical and controls chemical. It is homogeneous, balanced and present from birth to burial. Therefore, the chiropractic Science is a PRINCIPLE. An uninterrupted PRINCIPLE always works.
Philosophy
The Philosophy of chiropractic is the expression of life through the body's WISDOM, which we call innate intelligence. From our present level of research and understanding, the quantity and quality of this innate life energy is transmitted and expressed through the nervous system in many forms of reflex, relay and delay centers; these forms are presently known as motor and sensory, sympathetic and parasympathetic, voluntary and involuntary, efferent and afferent, and autonomic. It is homogeneous, balanced and present from the cradle to the coffin. Therefore, the Philosophy of chiropractic is a PRINCIPLE. An uninterrupted PRINCIPLE always works.
Art
The Art of chiropractic is the technique used to free the nervous system, so that this inborn intelligence can provide life from the umbilicus to the undertaker. There are many techniques, which makes the Art heterogeneous, but these are all subject to change. And there may be more places than the spine where energy is interfered with, i.e., TMJ, memory, even environment, and maybe other ways and areas not yet known. ANY technique to free this innate intelligence without interfering with the body's WISDOM, whether man or machine or instrument, is the ART. The Art is a PRACTICE, and may change many times from the womb to the tomb based on improvement from scientific research. It is NOT a principle. The Art does not always work and includes all techniques to free energy (intelligence) to heal the body.
Principled chiropractors are those who fulfill the two principles, NOT the many practices or any particular area of the body. Just as aerodynamics is the principle, and the Wright brothers' airplane was one practice of that principle, freeing innate intelligence is the principle, and an upper cervical adjustment, for example, is one practice of that principle.
The mixers usually don't seem to understand the principles of practice, while the straights don't seem to understand the practice of principles. Some mixers seem to suffer from Bulimia, while some straights seem to suffer from Anorexia Nervosa. Some in both groups dislike their side of this analogy; they take, but won't give!
The principles of the Science and Philosophy have been growing by research, and are being accepted by the scientific community. Hundreds of well-researched studies, books, papers and abstracts have been conducted and published extolling what is now called, among other terms, Energy Medicine. It is all based on the body's innate intelligent energy, with the nervous system being supreme. Energy not matter, electricity not chemistry, the whole not the part will undoubtedly be a leading healing paradigm of the future. But, that is where chiropractic has been for over a century, and where it better remain. Freeing energy will probably be proclaimed as the 21st century's new, and often superior, scientific paradigm for relieving pain, restoring health and prolonging life. Who practices those principles will be the issue.
Principled chiropractors are not defined by how they practice, but by what they practice. Any technique designed to free this innate intelligence, both motor and sensory, is pure chiropractic, not just adjusting the vertebral subluxation complex. There may be many and better ways yet to be researched and developed to free body energy or innate. Let's quit calling the Art a principle, and begin calling our Science and Philosophy principles. Chiropractic is NOT subluxation-based, it is free innate-based, but correcting vertebral subluxations still remains number one. Correction of vertebral subluxations is primary, but not singular. We MUST move from our sacred cow of the past to the race horse of the future, from the 20th to the 21st century