Summary
Pediatrician Dr. Mona (a DO/osteopathic doctor) sits down with Dr. Richard Schoonmaker, a former chiropractor now in osteopathic medical school, for a nuanced conversation about chiropractic care for children. Dr. Schoonmaker practiced chiropractic for three years alongside a family physician before deciding to pursue medical school, drawn by the broader scope of care he could offer patients. He emphasizes he doesn't regret his chiropractic education but wanted more comprehensive training. The discussion tackles the elephant in the room: viral social media content showing high-velocity neck adjustments on children, vaccine misinformation from chiropractors, and claims about curing autism or ADHD. Both guests agree that evidence for chiropractic manual therapy in pediatric populations is limited -- there is some low-to-moderate evidence for specific conditions, but little to none for broader claims. A key concern is the lack of standardized pediatric training in chiropractic schools: Dr. Schoonmaker recalls only 2-3 courses on pediatrics during his entire chiropractic education, with no standardized oversight body equivalent to the AAP. The hosts stress that while responsible chiropractors can help adults with musculoskeletal issues (Dr. Mona herself benefited during pregnancy), parents should be cautious about pediatric chiropractic claims that extend beyond evidence-based musculoskeletal care.
Key Points
- Evidence for chiropractic manual therapy in pediatric populations is limited -- low to moderate for specific conditions only
- Chiropractic schools provide minimal pediatric training (2-3 courses) with no standardized oversight or residency requirement
- There is no governing body equivalent to the AAP overseeing pediatric chiropractic education or practice standards
- Social media amplifies a small number of chiropractic influencers making non-evidence-based claims about children
- Claims that chiropractic can cure autism, ADHD, or replace vaccines are not supported by scientific evidence
- Responsible chiropractors who stay within their scope can provide valuable musculoskeletal care for adults and pregnant women
- Osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) shares similarities with chiropractic but is taught within full medical training
- Parents should critically evaluate chiropractors who extend beyond musculoskeletal care for their children
Key Moments
Viral chiropractic content often misrepresents the profession
While many chiropractors help people responsibly, the ones who go viral are typically doing high-velocity cracks on children, selling gimmicks, spreading vaccine misinformation, or claiming to adjust away autism or ADHD.
"it's often not those practitioners who go viral, it's the ones online doing high-velocity cracks on children's necks, selling gimmicks, spreading vaccine misinformation, or claiming they can adjust away autism or ADHD that gets the clicks"
Former chiropractor explains why he switched to medical school
Dr. Schoonmaker was initially drawn to chiropractic after an injury was treated with evidence-based care, but after practicing for three years alongside a family physician, he realized he wanted the broader scope of medical practice and enrolled in osteopathic medical school.
"I just realized over time that what I was doing as a chiropractor wasn't really how I had envisioned helping people, treating patients. And I started to really appreciate and enjoy what the family physician was able to do"
Chiropractic social media influencers spread non-evidence-based content
A few chiropractic influencers with very large audiences create content that is not aligned with evidence-based care, and Dr. Schoonmaker describes having to have conversations with patients about why certain viral techniques like the Y-strap would not be used in his practice.
"within chiropractic, there are a few chiropractic influencers who have very large audiences and you see them all over the place. And they create all of this very, I'll just say, interesting content that in many cases is not aligned with evidence-based care"
