The Praeger Handbook of Chiropractic Health Care : Evidence-Based Practices

What does scientific research show about the effectiveness of chiropractic care? How are chiropractors trained and what do they do? When should one turn to chiropractic care, and how does one select a practitioner? This book answers all of these questions and more. Chiropractic is the most frequently used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practice in the United States, with nearly $4 billion spent out-of-pocket annually by chiropractic patients. In fact, as evidence for its effectiveness for common conditions such as back pain continues to mount and acceptance grows in a variety of health care settings, chiropractic could be considered more "mainstream" than many other forms of CAM. In this information-packed single-volume work, an expert team led by Cheryl Hawk-a well-known chiropractic researcher-explains chiropractic licensure, practice, and effectiveness to general readers researching chiropractic care options and to undergraduate students choosing a major or specialty. Readers will see the range of scientific evidence supporting the use of chiropractic health care for many common conditions, learn about the typical chiropractic clinical encounter and chiropractic procedures, and understand the criteria by which patients and other health professionals can use to select a chiropractic physician. This book also provides health care practitioners in other fields with current information that enables a greater understanding of the training and the roles of chiropractors in health care. * Provides an easy-to-read and scientifically valid resource for lay readers and students as well as health professionals, offering an evidence-based approach to chiropractic care * Presents an up-to-date overview of the scientific evidence on the effectiveness of chiropractic care for many common conditions, demystifies what chiropractors do, and explains their training, scope of practice, and commonly used procedures * Identifies training and licensure requirements for chiropractors in all 50 U.S. states, useful for college students or anyone considering a career change to chiropractic health care