Misuse of Chiropractic Terms in Biomedical Literature
Author Information
Author(s): Wenban Adrian B
Primary Institution: Institut Municipal d'Investigació Mèdica (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
Hypothesis
Are the terms 'chiropractor' and 'chiropractic manipulation' being misused in the biomedical literature?
Conclusion
The study found that the terms 'chiropractor' and 'chiropractic manipulation' are often misused in European biomedical research, leading to over-reporting of injuries associated with cervical spine manipulation.
Supporting Evidence
- The study identified 24 cases across six publications where the term 'chiropractor' was misused.
- Two case reports confirmed that the care providers were not qualified chiropractors.
- Letters to editors were published in all four journals contacted regarding the misuse of terms.
Takeaway
This study looked at how often the words 'chiropractor' and 'chiropractic manipulation' are used incorrectly in research papers, and found that they often are, which can make it seem like chiropractic care causes more injuries than it really does.
Methodology
The study monitored PubMed for one year, reviewing articles that reported associations between chiropractic and injury, and contacted authors for clarification.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to reliance on self-reported qualifications of care providers.
Limitations
Only one database was monitored, the search strategy was basic, and communication with authors was limited to email.
Participant Demographics
All cases were from two European countries, specifically Germany and Spain.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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