We Need To Talk: The Importance of a Conversation
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how we talk about vaccination and where chiropractic fits into the conversation. While there are some folks who are engaging in thoughtful, respectful discussions, it seems that the loudest voices are often those who feel compelled to convince everyone else that theirs is the only valid opinion. That’s not a conversation at all.
Some chiropractors believe that vaccines are unnatural, unnecessary and even “poison” to the body. These purist chiropractic ideals are rooted in the ideas of BJ Palmer, founder of modern chiropractic, back in the early 1900s. He hypothesized that “germs” were not the sole cause of disease. He believed that dysfunction of the spine (“subluxations”) adversely affected the flow of “innate intelligence” (the nervous system) causing the body to succumb to germs or other causes of disease. The cure was the chiropractic adjustment. We now understand that a healthy nervous system is enormously important in the regulation and control of the body’s functions, including immune response. But while scientific studies provide support for many of Dr. Palmer’s ideas, most chiropractors today understand that that an adjustment can’t cure every disease.
As a natural and alternative health care provider, I understand the power of the human body to heal itself given the right environment. I value natural, holistic healthcare that respects the body’s innate restorative capacity. I strive to care for my own body without the use of drugs or surgery. And this is what compelled me to pursue a career in chiropractic healthcare. Yet when I broke my wrist in a cycling accident, I didn’t hesitate to seek medical care. And I was more than happy to take Vicodin for the first few days following the surgery!
There is a time and a place for natural healthcare just as there is a time and a place for medical interventions. Sure, a healthy lifestyle can boost your immune health and perhaps prevent you from catching the cold or flu. Yet, this virus is different. The world has not seen a virus so easily transmissible and so deadly as SARS-CoV-2 in our lifetimes. People don’t remember the horror and grief caused by such diseases as smallpox, polio and the Spanish flu.
It can be difficult to wrap our heads around the daily new cases and death counts. We want to believe that there are things we can do as individuals to stay safe. And to a large extent we can. Wearing masks and physical distancing do work. But how long are people willing to keep that up? What are the harms caused by social isolation? From a public health perspective, the tide didn’t really start to turn on COVID-19 until vaccines became readily available.
As a healthcare provider, I follow an Evidence-Based Practice approach to clinical decision making; one that considers the best scientific evidence, the practitioner’s experience, and the patient’s values. I believe that it is essential to start with the science- the honest, objective truth, to the best of our ability to understand it. Yet science cannot stand alone. For the best outcomes, the practitioner must draw on their own experience and be sensitive to the individual patient’s values and goals. This requires a dialogue, a back and forth, listening, and a respectful exchange of ideas. Perhaps this can be a model for having a conversation about vaccination.
I recall my grandmother talking about how frightened she was as a child when so many of her friends were dying of polio. She too had polio and survived. She was so relieved when a vaccine became available knowing that others wouldn’t have to suffer like she had. I wonder what she would say if I could have a conversation with her today.