I came across this quote from Moshe Feldenjrais, the developer of Feldenkrais body work. It speaks to the topic that we are visiting currently, that of the appropriateness of many of the words we use within the current chiropractic lexicon.
“Traditionally, “authority” creates semantic paralysis to generate and perpetuate societal control. Enculturated narcosis and enforced mediocrity become the lead bottom ballast of the status quo.
Our responsibility is to identify and isolate the “paralysis words”, quarantine them in our cerebral cortex in an area of forced insanity and then find the words that unparalysed and continue with our service to self and humanity with positive action.”
We find “paralysis words” within many of the commonly used words in chiropractic circles. One of these words has to be ‘treatment’.
On consulting the Oxford dictionary we find the definition of ‘treatment’ as: “Medical care given to a patient for an illness or injury”. I am not aware of when chiropractic care became ‘medical care’ and I don’t think it has been declared in a transparent way. It seems that this may be another attempt at “semantic paralysis”. Maybe it’s an attempt to pervert the intention of chiropractic and blend it with medical intent.
Treatment is a word that is descriptive of an intent to remove a given, named disease, set of symptoms or condition. It’s associated word, ‘Therapy’ or as the Oxford Dictionary describes it, “Treatment intended to relieve or heal a disorder” is likewise supporting the “Enculturated narcosis and enforced mediocrity become the lead bottom ballast of the status quo”. Treatment and therapy are low-level sickness paradigms and have no or limited place in a chiropractic paradigm.
Chiropractic’s intent on the other hand is to remove interferences to the optimal expression of life.
So, how about a more useful word? There is a word that has been used to describe the chiropractic clinical intent for over a hundred years. The word ‘Care’ truly unparalysed. When we consult the Oxford Dictionary we find the definition of ‘Care’ is “The provision of what is necessary for the health, welfare, maintenance and protection of someone or something”.
I suggest that this works like a ‘treat’.
On the subject of puns, however I think that it is OK to use the word ‘treat’ in the context of chiropractic in that it certainly is a treat to receive a well intentioned and well directed chiropractic adjustment.
