Chiropractic was developed in the 19th century by Daniel David Palmer to restore a patient’s hearing. Palmer believed that a displaced vertebra was applying extra pressure on a nerve in the man's ear, resulting in loss of hearing. The name chiropractic comes from the Greek cheiro, meaning hand, and prakto, meaning to use. The basic assumption of chiropractic is that vertebrae that are not in alignment apply pressure to nearby nerves. This pressure causes pain and/or dysfunction in the organs or muscles that are served by those nerves.
The goal of chiropractic therapy is to restore normal function to joints and their supporting structure, especially the vertebral column and pelvis. Following a simple examination and, often, radiological evaluation, the chiropractic practitioner applies precise adjustment to the vertebral column to bring structures back into alignment. This realignment is supposed to eliminate the irritation to the nerves and restore normal function.
The most important question is: how effective is chiropractic? There is ample anecdotal testimony that chiropractic works, but little to no incontrovertible evidence. According to a 1998 editorial in The New England Journal of Medicine, chiropractic treatment may be most effective for lower back pain. There is less evidence that it helps neck pain and headaches.
There is no evidence that chiropractic can alter the underlying disease process or the disease course in MS. While there is anecdotal evidence that people with MS have experienced some symptom relief, there are no controlled clinical trials demonstrating treatment safety or efficacy. This means that if individuals with MS experience lower back pain, which may or may not be related to MS, they may choose to see a chiropractor for treatment after consulting with their MS physician. They may experience relief from the discomfort, but should not expect that the chiropractic will alter or slow the disease course.