Adjusting the Body: The Hermeneutics of Chiropractic Care

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55016/nx50er11

Abstract

This paper positions chiropractic care within a hermeneutic framework, drawing on several concepts of Hans-Georg Gadamer (1960/1997) including the fusion of horizons, dialogue, and interpretation to conceptualize the clinical encounter as an interpretive dialogue between practitioner and patient. Building on patient-centered chiropractic models that emphasize vitalism, holism, and partnership (Coulter & Khorsan, 2011; Russell, 2012; Villanueva-Russell, 1998), we also argue that the body can be understood as a living text—shaped by both biomechanical structure, neuromechanics, experience, and history—requiring skilled interpretation as well as manual adjustment. A narrative vignette illustrates how meaning emerges in practice when bodily signs are read in relation to the patient’s broader life context, allowing both symptom relief and the reframing of self-understanding. Methodologically, we demonstrate the value of hermeneutic approaches in chiropractic research, highlighting the interpretive act as central to both diagnosis and healing. In this view, every adjustment becomes not only a mechanical intervention but also an adjustment of meaning, realigning the patient’s capacity for movement, health, and engagement with the world.

Keywords

 Hermeneutics, chiropractic care, Hans-Georg Gadamer, dialogue, interpretation, fusion of horizons

 

Author Biographies

  • Dr. Brad Pritchard, Oak Bay Family Chiropractic
    Dr Brad Pritchard is a chiropractor who has been in practice for 31 years. He specializes in family wellness care, with a focused interest in functional neurology. He is lead chiropractor and clinical director of Oak Bay Family Chiropractic in Calgary, Alberta Canada. Recently he has developed an interest in the philosophy of hermeneutics and how it fits in with the practice of chiropractic.
  • Dr. Nancy Moules, University of Calgary

    Dr. Moules is a professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary, and former Associate Dean, Research for the Faculty (2020-2025). She is the editor of the Journal of Applied Hermeneutics and co-founder and co-chair of the Canadian Hermeneutic Institute. A recipient of research and teaching excellence awards, she is first author of the book Conducting Hermeneutic Research: From Philosophy to Practice.  She held a Kids Cancer Care Research Chair from 2015-2020, a Killam Annual Professorship from 2012-2013, and was admitted to the Order of the University of Calgary in 2013.

     

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Published

2026-04-04

Issue

2026: 2026

Section

Articles

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