Philosophy

Principles vs. Practice by Dr. James Parker

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, and normally functions 100 percent 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 birth to death. 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.

...in the Curriculum
At Parker College the fundamentals of chiropractic philosophy are a primary part of the educational foundations for the DC degree, while never losing sight of the importance of the basic and clinical sciences for the purpose of thorough evaluation of the patient. Philosophy courses cover all aspects of chiropractic's origins, concepts, precepts, theories and principles of healing (ancient, historical, and present-day with comparisons to other natural healing arts), including the study of innate intelligence and its effect on the human body, health and chiropractic.