According to Robert Mootz D.C. and Reed Phillips D.C., Ph.D., although chiropractic has much in common with other health professions, its philosophical approach distinguishes it from modern medicine. Chiropractic philosophy involves what has been described as a "contextual, naturopathic approach" to health care. The traditional, "allopathic" or "medical" model considers disease as generally the result of some external influence, such as a toxin, a parasite, an allergen, or an infectious agent: the solution is to counter the perceived environmental factor (e.g., using an antibiotic for a bacterial infection). By contrast, the naturopathic approach considers that lowered "host resistance" is necessary for disease to occur, so the appropriate solution is to direct treatment to strengthen the host, regardless of the environment. In contemporary clinical practice, one can find elements of both naturopathic and allopathic philosophy among all types of providers. The degree to which a practitioner emphasizes different tenets of these philosophies is one factor that determines the manner in which they practice.

Chiropractic Perspectives That Reflect a Holistic Approach to Patient Care

* noninvasive, emphasizes patient's inherent recuperative abilities
* recognizes dynamics between lifestyle, environment, and health
* emphasizes understanding the cause of illness in an effort to eradicate, rather than palliate, associated symptoms
* recognizes the centrality of the nervous system and its intimate relationship with both the structural and regulatory capacities of the body
* appreciates the multifactorial nature of influences (structural, chemical, and psychological) on the nervous system
* balances the benefits against the risks of clinical interventions
* recognizes as imperative the need to monitor progress and effectiveness through appropriate diagnostic procedures
* prevents unnecessary barriers in the doctor-patient encounter
* emphasizes a patient-centered, hands-on approach intent on influencing function through structure
* strives toward early intervention, emphasizing timely diagnosis and treatment of functional, reversible conditions

Source:AHCPR Chapter 2 Chiropractic Belief Systems, Robert D. Mootz DC; Reed B. Phillips DC, PhD

The Chiropractic approach to healthcare stresses the importance of prevention. Former president of National College of Chiropractic, Joseph Janse DC (1909-1985) explains:

"Unless pathology is demonstrable under the microscope, as in the laboratory or by roentgenograms, to them [allopaths] it does not exist. For years the progressive minds in chiropractic have pointed out this deficiency. With emphasis they [chiropractors] have maintained the fact that prevention is so much more effective than attempts at a cure. They pioneered the all-important principle that effective eradication of disease is accomplished only when it is in its functional (beginning) phase rather than its organic (terminal) stage. It has been their contention that in general the doctor, the therapist and the clinician have failed to realize exactly what is meant by disease processes, and have been satisfied to consider damaged organs as disease, and to think in terms of sick organs and not in terms of sick people. In other words, we have failed to contrast disease with health, and to trace the gradual deteriorization along the downward path, believing almost that mild departures from the physiological normal were of little consequence, until they were replaced by pathological changes..."

Most patients who visit a chiropractor do so initially with a chief complaint related to musculoskeletal problems (especially low back and neck pain), although most chiropractors say they concern themselves with the overall health of the patient. According to a survey by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, in 2002, chiropractic was the fourth (7.5%) most commonly used CAM therapy among adults in the USA.[19][20] The profession has evolved so that treatment consists of hundreds of different techniques.The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook said:

Because chiropractors emphasize the importance of healthy lifestyles and do not prescribe drugs or perform surgery, chiropractic care is appealing to many health-conscious Americans. Chiropractic treatment of the back, neck, extremities, and joints has become more accepted as a result of research and changing attitudes about alternative, noninvasive health care practices.

Most DCs are in private practice or work in small groups, employing chiropractic assistants as office staff and to perform therapeutic activities. They may also employ massage and physiotherapists as adjuncts to chiropractic care.