ChiroSnopes Vol 1. March 2020
Investigators
The ChiroSnopes Team © 2019-2020 Evidence Based Chiropractors.
CLAIM
Rating: FALSE
Much like the mythical unicorn, the original Pero study on cancer patients could not be found
ORIGIN
The claim that spinal adjustment/manipulation boosts immune function by 200-400% has been used by unorthodox (traditional) chiropractors to suggest that being adjusted by a chiropractor helps the immune system to fight off viral and microbial diseases often referencing a paper from Ronald Pero, PhD (1940-2019). The Pero study has been referenced for decades as proof that chiropractic adjustments were beneficial to boost immunity in sick populations, including those with cancer and other serious health conditions. The original claim purports that individuals under chiropractic care had a 200% greater "immune competence %" compared individuals with cancer or other serious diseases. Additionally, individuals who received long term chiropractic care were 400% more "immune competent" to non chiropractic participants. These statistics and claims stem from from a purported publication from Ronald Pero, PhD, Chief of Cancer Prevention Research, NY Preventative Medicine Institute. Examples of memes in 2020 citing chiropractic and "immune boost by 200% can be seen here.
EVALUATION
In this era where evidence based health care is the gold standard, it is imperative that health care claims be verifiable, accurate, reliable and valid. The goal of the ChiroSnopes was to track down the original Pero study (and other literature where it has been referenced) to determine if the the claims of immune boosting were based on science. To verify this claim, a formal search of the scientific and grey literature was conducted.
REFERENCES
Pero R. Chiropractic research project, Wallenberg Laboratories, University of Lund, Lund Sweden, February 22, 1989.
Campbell CJ, Kent C, Banni, A, Amiri, A, Pero RW. Surrogate Indication of DNA Repair in Serum After Long Term Chiropractic Intervention A Retrospective Study. J. Vert Subluxation Research; Feb 2005: 5p
Cohn, A. Chiropractic and the Neuroimmune Connection. J. Vert. Subluxation Research; 2008. Sep(30):
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