Question
The basis of my question is for a project in my biochemistry class.  Our topic is how biochemistry is used by straight and 'mixer' chiropractors.  My question is: How is it that chiropractors relate and or use biochemistry within their own field of practice?

Answer
Artie,

I'm sorry if I go on a rant with this.   There no longer is such a thing as a straight and a mixer chiropractor.   It's the year 2009, not 1909.  A chiropractor is a chiropractor.  What differentiates one from another is whether they have an evidence-based and outcomes-based practice or not.  Straights and mixers?  Uuuugh!  There are chiropractors that assist patients by providing muscluloskeletal care within the legal scope of their practice with various methods that have clinical foundation, and there are chiropractors that narrow their practice to simply providing one modality for everyone that walks in the door, and then there are chiropractors that practice methods based on belief, dogma, or sales schemes (often for their profit and not a patient's benefit).   Please bag the historic terms "straight" and "mixer," and gently remind any professor to take a close look at why those terms are even used today.  It's quite pathetic.   Depending on the scope of practice as defined by each state, practice methods will vary.   In fact, I believe that New Mexico will allow limited pharmaceutical prescription rights to DC's.   How's that for applying biochemistry to practice?  And you think we already have a drug problem in the USA...just wait!   The prescribing of nutritional suppliments is one "biochemical" approach to practice, and another is the application of sound nutritional priciples.  The problem is that most DC's are not nutritionists and they push their products on to patients more so for profit than for genuine concern for health.  There also are wierd esoteric practices such as contact reflex analysis, for example, where you touch various point on a patient while pressing on their arm as a way to determine if they have a nutritional need.   Rubbish! Quackery!  Is this applying biochemistry to practice?   Okay, lets say the DC uses a device to determine one's antioxidant status (there's an infrared spectromety device out there, but I'm not sure of it's validity).   Is this a better approach to applying biochemistry to practice: showing the patient their graphed results and then having them take antioxidant vitamins?  That's for you to decide.   There is also the hunch judgement that a patient is vitamin-D deficient or insufficient, and supplementing them (as opposed to ordering blood tests and supplementing them).    In short, many DC's don't truly know what they are doing and if asked to bet their bank accounts on their principles, they would decline.   The problems seem to start in chiropractic school...

Good luck,

Dr. G