This issue is about chiropractic and advertising.
This is a study on chiropractic, but I wondered if the same could be said for other complementary medicine. I would like to introduce it here.
The content of the study is to investigate whether chiropractors are posting false information on their websites, such as that the cause of XX symptoms can be cured by adjusting the muscles, skipping over diseases that are within the proper range of chiropractic care. This is an investigation into this issue.
Content and results of the study
In this cross-sectional study, a representative sample of data was collected from the website of a chiropractic clinic in Denmark.
Information about non-skeletal muscles from the website was categorized.
For each non-skeletal muscle it was noted if there was a clear explanation available that justified the existence of the diagnosis and what it said.
These explanations were evaluated and categorized according to their agreement or disagreement with the scope of chiropractic practice as defined in the Danish National Defense Authorization Act.
A random sample of 139 (57%) websites from chiropractic clinics in Denmark was included, and 26% of the sampled websites referred to symptomatic conditions that were consistent with the chiropractic scope of practice but were not accompanied by a clear description.
A positive association was observed between advertising of infant and child care and advertised treatment of non-skeletal muscle system disorders (without adequate explanation).
Commentary
This is a study of the wording on chiropractic clinics in Denmark.
In the proportions mentioned above, the content of the treatment included symptoms that may or may not be related to the muscles and skeleton.
For example, it is similar to how osteopathic clinics in Japan describe how they can treat gynecological disorders and problems that are not related to acute trauma (fractures, dislocations, muscle sprains), with no explanation or unrelated explanation.
In my research, I tried to find out the background of the chiropractors who work in the hospitals on the websites listed.The results showed that the size of the clinic and the background of the chiropractor were not related to this matter, so it may depend on the literacy of the individual.
Jensen RK, Agersted MEI, Nielsen HA, O'Neill S. A cross-sectional study of website claims related to diagnoses and treatment of non-musculoskeletal conditions. Chiropr Man Therap. 2020;28(1):16. published 2020 Mar 30. doi:10.1186/s12998-020-00305-w
Conclusion
Since this is a common story in Japan, I wondered if there was anything in common. I thought so, but according to what has been researched, there is no connection between the facilities and the individuals unearthed.
I don't know if it is the literacy of the author of the website that advertised such misleading content or what, but it is necessary for each specialist to comply with the law in order to conduct their business beyond the boundaries of their specialty.
In Japan, it is necessary to report the opening of an osteopathic clinic or acupuncture clinic, but this is no longer the case when it comes to private qualifications.Therefore, there is a situation where people can do whatever they want, and excessive wording is used in advertisements.
I would like to remind you to be careful not to fall victim to this, and for healthcare professionals to avoid excessive advertising and to understand the scope of their work.
