U S PHYSICAL THERAPY INC /NV (USPH) Stock Forecast

About the Company

Chiropractic () is a form of alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially of the spine. The main chiropractic treatment technique involves manual therapy but may also include exercises and health and lifestyle counseling. Most who seek chiropractic care do so for low back pain. Chiropractic is well established in the United States, Canada, and Australia, along with other manual-therapy professions such as osteopathy and physical therapy. Many chiropractors (often known informally as chiros), especially those in the field's early history, have proposed that mechanical disorders affect general health, and that regular manipulation of the spine (spinal adjustment) improves general health. A chiropractor may have a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) degree and be referred to as "doctor" but is not a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.). While many chiropractors view themselves as primary care providers, chiropractic clinical training does not meet the requirements for that designation. A small but significant number of chiropractors spread vaccine misinformation, promote unproven dietary supplements, or administer full-spine x-rays. There is no good evidence that chiropractic manipulation is effective in helping manage lower back pain. A 2011 critical evaluation of 45 systematic reviews concluded that the data included in the study "fail[ed] to demonstrate convincingly that spinal manipulation is an effective intervention for any condition." Spinal manipulation may be cost-effective for sub-acute or chronic low back pain, but the results for acute low back pain were insufficient. No compelling evidence exists to indicate that maintenance chiropractic care adequately prevents symptoms or diseases. There is not sufficient data to establish the safety of chiropractic manipulations. It is frequently associated with mild to moderate adverse effects, with serious or fatal complications in rare cases. There is controversy regarding the degree of risk of vertebral artery dissection, which can lead to stroke and death, from cervical manipulation. Several deaths have been associated with this technique and it has been suggested that the relationship is causative, a claim which is disputed by many chiropractors. Chiropractic is based on several pseudoscientific ideas. Spiritualist D. D. Palmer founded chiropractic in the 1890s, claiming that he had received it from "the other world", from a doctor who had died 50 years previously. Throughout its history, chiropractic has been controversial. Its foundation is at odds with evidence-based medicine, and is underpinned by pseudoscientific ideas such as vertebral subluxation and Innate Intelligence. Despite the overwhelming evidence that vaccination is an effective public health intervention, there are significant disagreements among chiropractors over the subject, which has led to negative impacts on both public vaccination and mainstream acceptance of chiropractic. The American Medical Association called chiropractic an "unscientific cult" in 1966 and boycotted it until losing an antitrust case in 1987. Chiropractic has had a strong political base and sustained demand for services. In the last decades of the twentieth century, it gained more legitimacy and greater acceptance among conventional physicians and health plans in the United States. During the COVID-19 pandemic, chiropractic professional associations advised chiropractors to adhere to CDC, WHO, and local health department guidance. Despite these recommendations, a small but vocal and influential number of chiropractors spread vaccine misinformation.

Sector

Industrial Applications and Services

Industry

Services-Health Services

Employees

311

Exchange

NYSE