practors. While critics contend that homeopathic remedies are no better than water at worst and placebos at best, a survey of studies published in the British Medical Journal a few years ago indicates that some are actually more effective than placebos, and a number of reports document their efficacy in treating hay fever, respiratory infections, digestive diseases, migraine and a form of rheumatic disease. "I do what works best for my patients," says Dr. Jennifer Jacobs of Edmonds, Washington, a family practitioner and member of the NIH Alternative Medicine Advisory Committee (Squires). "There are certainly situations where modern medicine is appropriate and lifesaving, but perhaps the pendulum has swung too far toward technology and standard pharmaceuticals and not enough toward some of the early healing methods that have a track record in many cultures."Chiropractic TreatmentChiropractic science is concerned with investigating the relationship between the human body's structure (primarily of the spine) and function (primarily of the nervous system) to restore and preserve health. Chiropractic medicine applies such knowledge to diagnosing and treating structural dysfunctions that can affect the nervous system. Chiropractic physicians use manual procedures and interventions, not surgical or chemotherapeutic ones. In 1993, more than 45,000 licensed chiropractors were practicing in the United States (Krizmanic). Chiropractic specialty areas are pertinent to other medical specialties, such as radiology, orthopedics, neurology, and sports medicine. Current chiropractic research focuses on back and musculoskeletal pain and reliability studies. Although chiropractic clearly has its drawbacks, notably its stubborn insistence that spinal misalignments cause or underlie most ailments, including those not related to the backbone, its use of vertebral manipulation has proved useful in treating acute low-back pain and other muscular and neuro...
