The most effective way to create confusion within and ultimately the destruction of a profession is to eliminate the use of its characteristic language and replace it with language that contradicts the original intent.
In this series I am considering some of the many commonly misused words that have diluted chiropractic over the years and especially lately. It seems that many of the words that chiropractors have adopted are the domain of the medical profession. Whether this is by specific intention to assimilate into medicine or some misguided attempt to be more understood by medicine I leave it to others to judge. All I can say is that has and is damaging the profession of chiropractic.
I contend that the use of these words have helped to remove our profession’s identity, cohesion and strength thus resulting in numerous chiropractic contradictions.
This week’s focus is on a word that I consider being particularly problematic for the chiropractic profession worldwide and especially in Australia.
Imagine being a medical professional who has decided to specialise in paediatrics. You spend some 11 years of harrowing study. You run the gauntlet of the medical ‘brotherhood’ and you finally get your qualification. Then you then see a course in chiropractic paediatrics being offered to undergraduates at universities and chiropractic colleges. You see a bunch of chiropractors that have been in practice no more than a couple of years claiming to practice chiropractic paediatrics – I don’t think you would be impressed. I think that you would do what you could to bring these imposters down.
What’s in a word? What’s all the fuss? – you may say.
Well let’s look at the dictionary definition. It tells us that paediatrics is “The branch of medicine dealing with children and their diseases”.
If we persist in positioning ourselves as another profession we will deserve to attract the ire of medicine. If we keep using the term chiropractic paediatrics I suggest that we deserve every attack that we get.
In my opinion, using another professions’ hard earned and well-defined language like this does not sublimate us into a more acceptable realm, it denigrates us.
So, what is the application of chiropractic to children? Why not children’s chiropractic, kids chiropractic or chiropractic for children?
The Oxford Dictionary defines a child as “A young human being below the age of puberty or below the legal age of majority”. That sounds like the group of people in question. This is the section of humanity that really deserves the very best we have to offer.
Now, I don’t mean that children are just little adults and there is nothing different in the way in which we should address them – there certainly are significant distinctions when it comes to children. Children from conception on have numerous unique factors that we must be aware of as chiropractors. There is lots of room for developing a knowledge base in the chiropractic science and the chiropractic care for kids and there are many of us who are doing fantastic work to expand these knowledge gaps.
Let’s not hold our profession back by masquerading as something we are not. Lets clean up our lingo. Let’s be clear about what we do. Let’s give chiropractic care to children through practising children’s chiropractic?
Mark Postles D.C.
