According to Dr. Stephenson, which statement about chiropractic is true?

According to Dr. Stephenson, which statement about chiropractic is true?

• A. Chiropractic is a deductive science
• B. Dr. Palmer's concept of the subluxation was incorrect
• C. Laboratory investigation is essential to prove the chiropractic theory
• D. The scientific method is a foolish endeavor of allopathic medicine

Answer: (A)

Chiropractic is a deductive science because its knowledge is built from guiding principles about how the spine and nervous system interrelate, and then reasoning from those principles to specific clinical conclusions. In this view, a chiropractor starts with core ideas about how vertebral alignment, joint function, and nerve transmission affect health, and from there infers which spinal segments might be involved in a patient’s symptoms. The practitioner then applies adjustments and observes the patient’s response, using that outcome to confirm or adjust the working hypothesis. The emphasis is on clinical reasoning and the observable effects of care, not on proving theories through laboratory testing alone. This approach contrasts with relying primarily on laboratory investigations to validate chiropractic ideas, or with dismissing the scientific method; Dr. Stephenson advocated a deductive, clinically grounded path to knowledge in chiropractic.

Chiropractic is a deductive science because its knowledge is built from guiding principles about how the spine and nervous system interrelate, and then reasoning from those principles to specific clinical conclusions. In this view, a chiropractor starts with core ideas about how vertebral alignment, joint function, and nerve transmission affect health, and from there infers which spinal segments might be involved in a patient’s symptoms. The practitioner then applies adjustments and observes the patient’s response, using that outcome to confirm or adjust the working hypothesis. The emphasis is on clinical reasoning and the observable effects of care, not on proving theories through laboratory testing alone. This approach contrasts with relying primarily on laboratory investigations to validate chiropractic ideas, or with dismissing the scientific method; Dr. Stephenson advocated a deductive, clinically grounded path to knowledge in chiropractic.