Chiropractic Care for Children is Dangerous, Unwarranted and Must Cease Immediately - Says Australian AMA

In a two page letter to the Australian Government (Safer Care) devoid of any evidence whatsoever, the President of the Australian Medical Association Julian Rait claims that the chiropractic care of children is:

". . . manifestly unsafe and unwarranted."

Rait goes on with his fear mongering, factless diatribe on the safety, appropriateness and the professional duties of chiropractors when caring for children. Calling it the ". . . controversial practice of infant spine manipulation" Rait stated that chiropractic care in children ". . . is a dangerous practice in itself and it potentially impedes the proper assessment and management of an infant."

CLICK HERE for a copy of the letter

Stating that what chiropractors do to children is "unconscionable and dangerous behaviour" the AMA compared chiropractors to perpetrators who prey on victims with fake diagnoses stating:

"Additionally, it preys on often tired parents by the promise of a frequently false unequivocal diagnosis and false 'quick fix'. This is plainly unconscionable and dangerous behaviour."

Rait doesn't let up in his letter further assailing chiropractors claiming (despite all the evidence to the contrary) that it is of "no benefit" and "extremely dangerous" because "newborn babies are extremely fragile."

And in a claim that may be the most egregious, the AMA warns that the damage chiropractors do to these babies ". . . may not be immediately obvious to parents, and may not manifest until many years later."

The final nail in the proverbial coffin centers on informed consent where the AMA asserts that chiropractic is so dangerous and there is such an immense lack of evidence that parents can't give consent even if they wanted to.

After all Rait claims there are potential drastic short and long term consequences of chiropractic on their babies, there are no scientific safety and efficacy studies, and there is no credible scientific evidence for manipulation.

How could anyone consent to that?

Besides all that Rait says chiropractors should be referring parents to medical doctors if they really want holistic care.

We know - but don't laugh. This is too sickening for laughter.

And of course no bashing of chiropractic would be complete (once you have claimed there is no evidence, its unsafe, there can be no consent and the damage may not show up for decades) unless you claim no one should be paying for this - least of all the government.

"Consideration of whether such potentially dangerous therapies, which are not underpinned by a strong evidence-base, should be supported by private health insurance rebates is also warranted."

Rait closes the letter by stating that chiropractic spinal care for children under 12 years of age is dangerous, unwarranted and must cease immediately.

The release of the AMA's letter follows the release of an embarrassing, almost apologetic, submission to Safer Care by the Australian Chiropractic Association. In that submission the ACA of Australia never mentions vertebral subluxation, pretends that chiropractic is the practice of primary care and that the focus is on musculoskeletal conditions with a pathological approach to their management. All this while basically begging the Australian government to allow for a "trial" of chiropractic care in children.

In light of the position and public statements of the Australian ACA and the actual Chiropractic Board of Australia itself no one should be surprised at all by the AMA's response.

The Chiropractic Board of Australia has already banned the practice of spinal manipulation in children by chiropractors after calls from the Victorian Health Minister and Australian Medical Association's President to stop the chiropractic care of children.

Incredibly, the Chiropractic Board either lies in their announcement or reveals deep seated ignorance stating:

". . . the Board acknowledges there is no current clinical guideline, or peer-reviewed publication to guide chiropractors with respect to the care of infants and young children, and the use of spinal manipulation in particular."

They may as well have written the AMA's response.

Of course nothing could be farther from the truth. There is a robust base of evidence for the chiropractic management of children including practice guidelines by the Council on Chiropractic Practice and the International Chiropractors Association. Further, studies on safety and efficacy have been carried out by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association among many others.

By implementing this policy the Chiropractic Board of Australia is complicit in these actions.

The President of the Australian Chiropractic Association Anthony Coxon DC was interviewed on television about the care of children and made this absurd statement:

"Is the care likely to be effective or of benefit to young babies? Look, while there is some positive, moderate level of evidence, its not definitive at this stage. Certainly not at the level of evidence where we would feel confident advertising it on a website"

Click her for a video clip of his statement

It is expected that the Australian government will severely restrict, if not completely outlaw, the chiropractic care of children under 12 once their "review" is complete.

CLICK HERE for more on the situation in Australia