I will not here go through your papers for you – I would suggets you do some critical appraisal of your own and look at the papers and see how well blinded they were, what controls were used and assess whether or not you want to bet your career on them.

You might want to learn from a recent BMJ cooment article on this very problem: http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/339/jul08_4/b2766

I sincerely hope you are not going to use this sort of evidence from chiropractic fanzines in a defense with the GCC of misleading patients about colic.

Guttman G. Blocked atlantal nerve syndrome in babies and infants. Manuelle Medizin. 1987, 25

Reports on the examination and adjustment of more than 1000 infants with ‘atlas blockage’ or as chiropractors would call it – subluxation.
The symptoms of ‘atlas blockage’ ranged from, “central motor impairment and development through diencephalic impairments of vegetative regulatory systems to lowered resistance to infections, especially to ear, nose and throat infections.”

Also mentions the work of a colleague, Frymann, who examined 1250 new born babies. 211 suffered vomiting, hyperactivity and sleeplessness. Examination revealed ‘cervical strain’ in 95% of this symptomatic group. Manipulation then , “frequently resulted in immediate cessation of crying, muscular relaxation and sleepiness”.

Conclusions: 80% of children are not in autonomic balance, that the upper cervical spine should be examined and, if required, treated with specific manipulation, because, “the success of adjustment overshadows every other type of treatment.”

Biedermann H. Kinematic imbalances due to suboccipital strain in newborns. Manuel Medicine 1992; 6
600 babies with a variety of problems including postural asymmetries, motor problems (including torticollis) , loss of appetite, neck sensitivity, fevers of unknown origin and other central nervous system disorders.
Results, “All but one of our little patients treated only with manipulation of the upper cervical spine developed satisfactorily.” No complications.
“The immense pathogenic potential of the proprioceptive afferents of the suboccipital region has until now been widely underestimated.”

Jesper et al. The short term effect of spinal manipulation in the treatment of infantile colic: A randomized controlled clinical trial with a blinded observer. JMPT 1999; 22 (8)

This, and an earlier study in 1989 found, specific, finger tip adjustments to the spine relieved colic symptoms.

The Danish health authorities, already being familiar with the safety and effectiveness of chiropractic for adults, picked up on this study and instructed nurses to recommend chiropractic care for babies suffering from colic.

(As an aside, Denmark’s progressive implementation of chiropractic and a rehabilitation program have lead it to be the ONLY country to be successfully managing chronic low back pain)

The notochord does not develop first, but as one component from the mesoderm which develops alongside the ectoderm and the endoderm – the basic layering which gives rise to all body systems.

Just one element of so many wrong things in so few words.

I happen to love Chiropractic and why is everyone getting a bee in their bonnet because people are taking charge of their health and refusing to pop pills all the time….Hippocrates- 'for health…look to the spine' Why is that soooo out there? It developed first- notochord and all that!!

What does political correctness have to do with quackery, BCA cherry-picking evidence or 'science' being led by a PR company?