Podcast Summary: Science Vs – "Chiropractors: Are They Legit?"

Host: Wendy Zuckerman (Spotify Studios)
Date: December 4, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Science Vs investigates the legitimacy of chiropractic care: Does it work for back and neck pain? Should babies and children visit chiropractors? Are there risks? Host Wendy Zuckerman, with input from experts, patients, and family anecdotes, explores chiropractic’s history, the science supporting or rejecting its claims, and potential dangers—cutting through myths to pit chiropractic care against medical evidence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background: Family Anecdote & Prevalence

• Anecdote: Producer Caitlin Sori and her family have visited chiropractors for years—for both adults and children—leading to personal stories of relief after treatments.
• Prevalence: One in ten adult Americans went to a chiropractor in 2022, mostly for pain.
  • (00:23–02:40)
  • Quote: “My muscles feel a lot more relaxed and my neck feels like it's not so grindy is the best way to describe it.” – Chris, Caitlin's mother, (02:19)

2. What Do Chiropractors Actually Do?

• Spinal Manipulation: Chiropractors perform quick thrusts to the spine to realign segments, claiming to address “misalignments” or “subluxations.”
  • (02:44–03:10)
  • Quote: “It's not like a massage... It's like pop back into place.” – Caitlin, describing sessions (02:44)

3. Chiropractic Origins & Philosophy

• Dee Dee Palmer: Founded chiropractic in the late 1800s, originally claiming spinal adjustments could cure deafness and later, nearly all diseases.
  • (05:53–10:15)
• Subluxation Theory: Palmer theorized that blockages in the spine disrupt nerve energy ("life force"), causing disease.
  • Current chiropractors define subluxations variably, from “joints that don’t move properly” to “bones out of place” affecting nerves, muscles, and more.
  • (08:50–09:58)
• Mainstream Acceptance: Despite mystical origins, U.S. Medicare covers some chiropractic services; American College of Physicians lists spinal manipulation as a potential back/neck pain treatment.
  • (10:27–10:55)

4. The Evidence: Does Chiropractic Help with Pain?

• Neck and Back Pain:

  • Anita Gross (physical therapist/researcher, McMaster University) reviewed 40 studies on chiropractic spinal manipulation:
    • Evidence is “low quality” (small, poor studies), but for some people, multiple sessions may reduce neck and back pain.
    • At least one study found spinal manipulation more helpful over a year than medication.
    • Exercise in combination with manipulation is often more effective.
  • (11:18–14:52)
  • Quote: “So the studies are showing that spinal manipulation actually does help. It's valuable, yeah.” – Anita Gross (12:15)

• Placebo Effect:

  • Relief may be partly due to the placebo effect or the therapeutic experience of being cared for.
    • (30:15–31:17)
  • Quote: “It's all about whether it feels good for you.” – Chris, Caitlin's mother (31:10)

5. Chiropractic for Babies & Children

• Anecdotes and Practices:
  • Techniques for infants are much gentler, involving small manipulations or gentle swinging.
  • Katie was taken to a chiropractor as a newborn (for "misaligned bones" after forceps delivery), reportedly slept better afterward.
  • (14:52–15:20)
• Controversy & Lack of Evidence:
  • Viral videos and medical backlash have prompted bans—e.g., Australia prohibits under-twos from chiropractic manipulation.
  • A comprehensive international review found “no good evidence to explicitly support the effectiveness of spinal manipulation for any condition in pediatric populations.” (16:30–17:13)
    • Quote: “Currently, there's insufficient research to either support or refute the use of manual therapy in children.” – Carl S. Cleveland III, chiropractor (17:13)
  • Parents express a sense of being “sucked in” by prevailing beliefs and community practices around chiropractic for kids.
    • (18:42–19:11)

6. Questioning Chiropractic’s Core Beliefs

• Subluxations Under Scrutiny:

  • Many chiropractors still focus treatments on “fixing subluxations” for general health, but neurologist Marcello Costa argues there’s no evidence these “misalignments” exist outside certain actual spine injuries.
  • (25:32–29:24)
  • Quote: “The subluxations simply do not exist physically.” – Prof. Marcello Costa (28:18)

• Wider Claims (Asthma, High Blood Pressure):

  • Dismissed as scientifically unfounded. Spinal manipulation has no proven effect on conditions like asthma.
  • (27:04–27:58)
  • Quote: “There's no basis whatsoever that can cure asthma. This is a complete nonsense.” – Prof. Marcello Costa (27:37)

• Within-Chiropractic Dissent:

  • Some in the field call subluxations “an albatross around our collective necks.”
  • (28:30)

7. Risks and Side Effects

• Minor Risks:
  • Worsened pain, headaches, nausea, or dizziness; typically resolve on their own.
  • (31:17–33:11)
  • Quote: “The manipulation happens so quickly then. Ah, you got that dizziness.” – Anita Gross (32:38)
• Rare but Serious Risks:
  • Dislodged blood clots, arterial tears, strokes, and deaths are documented but extremely rare (1 per several million manipulations).
  • Some cases (e.g., Katie Mae) have led to fatalities following neck adjustments.
  • (33:11–33:34)
  • Quote: “Yeah. A young person... gets their neck manipulated and then they die. Like we've had a few cases like that.” – Anita Gross (33:11)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It's a bit like religion. You gotta filter out the bull, I reckon.”
  – Bill, Caitlin’s dad (34:46–34:51)
• “The science behind it is simply not there. The belief system is entirely contrary to our knowledge of physics and chemistry and biology.”
  – Prof. Marcello Costa (27:04)
• “If it's making people feel better, what is the problem here?”
  – Wendy Zuckerman, host (31:17)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Chiropractic family anecdotes and prevalence: 00:23–03:26
• History and origin of chiropractic: 05:53–10:15
• Current scientific evidence for spinal manipulation: 11:18–14:52
• Pediatric chiropractic: practice, controversy, and evidence: 14:52–18:42
• Core beliefs (subluxation) and their scientific validity: 25:32–29:24
• Risks: minor to fatal: 31:17–33:34
• Verdict and summary reflections: 34:32–35:04

Conclusions & Takeaways

• For Adults with Back/Neck Pain:
  • Spinal manipulation by chiropractors can relieve pain in some people (“low quality” evidence), mostly for back/neck issues—not as a cure-all.
  • Why it works is unclear; may partly be placebo or release of tension.
• For Children:
  • No “good evidence” supports chiropractic for any pediatric condition. Potential risks, though rare, make it controversial and in some places prohibited for young children.
• Core Theory of Subluxation:
  • No scientific basis for subluxations (“misalignments”) causing general illness; concept is disputed even within the chiropractic community.
• Risks:
  • Minor side effects are common, but serious consequences (stroke, death) are extremely rare but not impossible.
• Final Thought:
  • Chiropractic may offer relief from some musculoskeletal pain, but core claims about treating a wide array of health conditions are unsupported. As host Wendy points out, “If it's making people feel better, what is the problem?”—but users should be aware of limitations and rare risks.