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BioMed Central, Chiropractic and Manual Therapies, 1(28), 2020

DOI: 10.1186/s12998-020-00312-x

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A united statement of the global chiropractic research community against the pseudoscientific claim that chiropractic care boosts immunity

Journal article published in 2020 by Annemarie de Zoete ORCID, H. Stephen Injeyan, Cecilie K. Øverås, Petra Schweinhardt, Heather M. Shearer, Laura Sirucek, Delphine Sorondo, Mette Jensen Stochkendahl, Paula J. Stern, Joel Stevans, Kent Stuber, Maja Stupar, John Srbely, Lars Uhrenholt, Michael Swain and other authors.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

Abstract Background In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) posted reports claiming that chiropractic care can impact the immune system. These claims clash with recommendations from the World Health Organization and World Federation of Chiropractic. We discuss the scientific validity of the claims made in these ICA reports. Main body We reviewed the two reports posted by the ICA on their website on March 20 and March 28, 2020. We explored the method used to develop the claim that chiropractic adjustments impact the immune system and discuss the scientific merit of that claim. We provide a response to the ICA reports and explain why this claim lacks scientific credibility and is dangerous to the public. More than 150 researchers from 11 countries reviewed and endorsed our response. Conclusion In their reports, the ICA provided no valid clinical scientific evidence that chiropractic care can impact the immune system. We call on regulatory authorities and professional leaders to take robust political and regulatory action against those claiming that chiropractic adjustments have a clinical impact on the immune system.