Meagan von Holtz alias The Wellness Whisperer

Meagan von Holtz is not licensed or approved by state chiropractic licensing board to diagnose, treat, or cure autoimmune diseases.

autoimmune diseases

Supports

High-quality evidence supports chiropractic and other manual therapies as symptomatic treatments for musculoskeletal and some neurologic complaints, not as disease-modifying therapies for autoimmune disease. A large body of randomized trials and meta-analyses shows that spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) can provide pain and disability improvements comparable to other recommended therapies for chronic low back pain, indicating effectiveness for mechanical pain syndromes rather than immune-mediated diseases.^[6][7][5] Systematic review and meta-analysis of manual therapies in multiple sclerosis (MS) found that massage and reflexology can alleviate fatigue, pain, and spasms and are safe as complementary treatments, again targeting symptoms rather than the autoimmune process itself.^[2] Mechanistic reviews of manual therapy demonstrate short-term neurovascular, neurological, and neuroendocrine changes, and low-quality evidence for neuroimmune changes, suggesting that spinal manipulation can modulate biomarkers related to stress and inflammation in the short term.^[4][7] A pragmatic randomized controlled trial showed that 12 weeks of chiropractic spinal adjustments in adults with subclinical spinal pain changed several physiological biomarkers (BDNF, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ, cortisol), indicating that chiropractic care can influence immune-related and stress biomarkers, but this was not conducted in patients with autoimmune disease and did not assess clinical autoimmune outcomes.^[3][14] Small pilot trials in patients with neurodegenerative conditions (Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease) have shown EEG and connectivity changes after chiropractic adjustments, suggesting central nervous system modulation but not autoimmune disease control.^[21] Major autoimmune disease guidelines (rheumatology, gastroenterology, neurology) emphasize evidence-based pharmacologic, nutritional, and immunomodulatory therapies and may allow nonpharmacologic treatments (including manual therapy) as adjunctive options for symptom relief in some contexts, but not as primary disease-modifying treatments.^{[2][12][18][19][20]}

Contradicts

High-quality evidence and guidelines specifically contradict the idea that chiropractic treatment is an established or recommended disease-modifying therapy for autoimmune diseases. A systematic review of studies on spinal manipulative therapy and immune or infectious disease outcomes found no clinical evidence that SMT changes immune system outcomes in a way that prevents disease or improves disease-specific outcomes; preliminary biomarker changes were of uncertain clinical relevance, and the authors explicitly concluded that claims of efficacy for immune function are unsupported.^[6] A united statement from the global chiropractic research community noted that professional claims that chiropractic care boosts immunity or prevents infectious disease are not backed by valid clinical evidence and that hypotheses about preventing viral illnesses have never been properly tested, underscoring the lack of robust immune-modulating data.^[8] A living systematic review on mechanisms of manual therapy found at best critically low to moderate quality evidence for neuroimmune effects, with no clear clinical significance for autoimmune disease modification.^[4][7] The 2022 American College of Rheumatology guideline for rheumatoid arthritis explicitly recommends against using chiropractic therapy directly for RA management; this recommendation is made despite no eligible studies, based on potential cervical spine complications, perceived lack of RA-specific benefit, and cost and burden, indicating a guideline-level stance against chiropractic as RA treatment.^[12] Evidence for chiropractic in RA is limited to case reports and small series, and there are no high-quality trials showing improvement in autoimmunity; expert reviews emphasize that chiropractic may help mechanical pain but does not affect the autoimmune process itself and may pose risks in inflamed joints.^[11][13][12] For other autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and autoimmune thyroid disease, major guidelines focus on pharmacologic immunomodulation, biologics, nutrition, and sometimes stem cell therapies, and do not list chiropractic as a disease-modifying intervention.^{[2][18][19][20]} Overall, existing mechanistic and biomarker studies of chiropractic do not establish that it treats autoimmune diseases, and authoritative guidelines either do not mention chiropractic or advise against its use as a primary treatment for autoimmune conditions.^{[6][7][8][12]}

Mainstream view

The mainstream medical and scientific view is that chiropractic care and other manual therapies may have a role as adjunctive, symptom-focused treatments for musculoskeletal pain, stiffness, and some functional complaints in patients who also have autoimmune diseases, but they are not established disease-modifying therapies and are not recommended as primary treatment for autoimmunity itself. ^{[8][13][14][15][2]} Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, Sjögren’s disease, and autoimmune thyroiditis are primarily managed with evidence-based pharmacologic and immunologic strategies (disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, biologics, targeted small molecules, immunosuppressants), nutritional ^[5][7]

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“autoimmune diseases”

Rule: State Chiropractic Practice Act (scope limited to musculoskeletal/spine care)

See every doc bro advertising Autoimmune disease

Meagan von Holtz is not licensed or approved by state chiropractic licensing board to diagnose, treat, or cure Thyroid.

Thyroid

Supports

High-quality thyroid guidelines and reviews consistently state that the evidence‑based treatment for hypothyroidism and most thyroiditis (including Hashimoto’s) is thyroid hormone replacement with levothyroxine, sometimes with carefully selected exercise and lifestyle measures, not chiropractic manipulation.^[6] Major guidelines (American Thyroid Association, NICE) recommend levothyroxine as first-line therapy and do not list chiropractic care as a treatment option for thyroid disease.^[11][12] Evidence-based reviews of hypothyroidism management emphasize maintaining TSH in the reference range with appropriately dosed levothyroxine and periodic monitoring, again with no role for chiropractic.^[14]

Contradicts

A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of a chiropractic-related modality (Neuro Emotional Technique, NET) in primary hypothyroidism found the intervention was safe but conferred no clinical benefit, indicating it is unlikely to be therapeutically useful for hypothyroid patients.^[6] Major clinical practice guidelines for hypothyroidism in adults and for thyroid disease assessment and management specify pharmacologic thyroid hormone replacement as the standard of care and do not endorse or even discuss chiropractic treatment as an evidence-based therapy, implying lack of supporting evidence.^[11][12][14] No systematic reviews or randomized trials demonstrate that spinal manipulation or chiropractic care can normalize thyroid hormone levels, reverse autoimmune thyroiditis, or replace thyroid hormone therapy; available trials of non-pharmacologic adjuncts (e.g., exercise programs) show benefit only when patients are already on levothyroxine.^[24]

Mainstream view

The mainstream medical and endocrine position is that thyroid disorders such as hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and most other primary thyroid diseases are treated with evidence-based pharmacologic therapies, predominantly levothyroxine replacement, guided by TSH and free T4 monitoring.^[11][12][14] Chiropractic care is not recognized as a treatment for thyroid disease in major thyroid or endocrine guidelines and, at most, may be considered a separate intervention for musculoskeletal complaints but not for correcting thyroid hormone abnormalities or autoimmune thyroid pathology.^[11][12][14]

In their own wordsView sourceArchived copy

“Thyroid”

Rule: State Chiropractic Practice Act (scope limited to musculoskeletal/spine care)

See every doc bro advertising Thyroid disease and Hashimoto

Meagan von Holtz is not licensed or approved by state chiropractic licensing board to diagnose, treat, or cure Depression.

Depression

Supports

Evidence specifically testing chiropractic spinal manipulation as a primary treatment for depression is sparse and low quality. One systematic review of psychological outcomes in randomized trials of spinal manipulation (PRISM) found small, short‑term improvements in psychological measures compared with verbal interventions, with effects diminishing and losing statistical significance by 6–12 months; this suggests only modest, transient benefit and not a robust antidepressant effect. ^[23] Separate systematic reviews and meta‑analyses of manual therapies (osteopathic interventions, massage, acupressure, craniosacral, energetic therapies) report reductions in depression scores in adults, particularly in populations with pain, but these are not chiropractic‑specific and often involve different modalities; they support the idea that hands‑on physical treatments can indirectly improve mood via pain, tension, and sleep rather than directly treating major depressive disorder. ^[8][22][24] A recent systematic review of manual therapy modalities and depression reported that 5 of 6 chiropractic manipulation studies showed statistically significant reductions in depressive symptoms, but the overall evidence quality was rated low to moderate, studies were small and heterogeneous, and manual therapy was framed as a complementary rather than primary treatment for depression. ^[10][11][21] Case reports and small uncontrolled series describe individual patients with chronic pain and comorbid depression experiencing improvement in depressive symptoms after courses of chiropractic care, but such uncontrolled observations are considered very weak evidence and mainly hypothesis‑generating. Psychodynamic psychotherapy is supported by substantial controlled trials and clinical experience as an effective treatment for depression and is endorsed in psychiatric practice, illustrating that the mainstream evidence base for depression focuses on psychotherapies and pharmacologic treatments rather than chiropractic. ^[6][20]

Contradicts

High‑quality guidelines and major evidence syntheses for depression do not recommend chiropractic care as a treatment for depressive disorders. ^[10] The psychodynamic treatment of depression review describes talk‑therapy approaches (psychodynamic psychotherapy and other evidence‑based psychotherapies) and positions them as central modalities for managing depressive illness, without mentioning chiropractic or spinal manipulation as a therapeutic option. ^{[5][11][20][21][22][23]} More broadly, major clinical guidelines for mental health and primary care, as reflected in the psychiatric and internal medicine literature, emphasize antidepressant medications, evidence‑based psychotherapies (such as CBT, interpersonal therapy, psychodynamic therapy), and structured lifestyle interventions; chiropractic is not included among first‑line or even standard adjunctive treatments for depression. ^[6] Even within musculoskeletal care, evidence‑based guidelines and task‑force reports indicate that psychological factors and mental health conditions are reasons for referral from chiropractors to mental health professionals, not conditions for which chiropractors themselves provide primary treatment, reinforcing that treatment of depression lies outside usual chiropractic scope of practice. ^[8] Existing manual‑therapy meta‑analyses and systematic reviews highlight serious limitations: small sample sizes, heterogeneous interventions and patient groups, inadequate blinding and control conditions, reliance on subjective outcomes, short follow‑up, and high or unclear risk of bias; authors consistently call for larger, higher‑quality randomized trials before any firm claims about treating major depressive disorder can be made. ^[24] Where RCTs include depression outcomes in back‑pain or chronic‑pain populations, depression scores often improve similarly across various physical‑therapy or manual‑therapy arms, suggesting that improvements reflect better pain, function, sleep, and overall quality of life rather than a specific antidepressant effect of chiropractic manipulation. Overall, the existing evidence base does not substantiate chiropractic treatment as an established, independently effective therapy for clinical depression, and any benefit appears indirect, modest, and not comparable to standard psychiatric treatments.

Mainstream view

The mainstream medical and scientific position is that depression is best treated with evidence‑based psychotherapies, pharmacologic antidepressants, and, where appropriate, other validated interventions (for example, digital CBT, mindfulness‑based programs, and sleep‑focused treatments), guided by psychiatric and primary‑care guidelines. ^{[5][6][9][10][20][22][24]} Psychodynamic psychotherapy is recognized as one of several established psychotherapeutic approaches with demonstrated efficacy for depressive disorders, alongside cognitive‑behavioral and interpersonal therapies. For somatic and neuromodulation approaches (such as electroconvulsive therapy or repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation), there is robust trial and guideline support in specific patient populations, but spinal manipulation and chiropractic care are not included among recommended treatments for depression. ^[11][23] Manual therapies, including chiropractic, may play a role in managing musculoskeletal pain, tension, and sleep disturbance, all of which can contribute to or exacerbate depressive symptoms, so they may be used as adjuncts in holistic care for patients whose primary complaints are pain, with mood improvements considered secondary and indirect. Major guidelines and professional statements emphasize that treating mental health conditions, including major depressive disorder, is outside the primary scope of chiropractic practice; chiropractors are expected to screen for mental health problems and refer ^[21]

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“Depression”

Rule: State Chiropractic Practice Act (scope limited to musculoskeletal/spine care)

See every doc bro advertising Depression

Meagan von Holtz is not licensed or approved by state chiropractic licensing board to diagnose, treat, or cure Addressing autoimmune diseases, hormonal imbalances, and digestive disorders.

Addressing autoimmune diseases, hormonal imbalances, and digestive disorders

No specific health claims of theirs were cross-checked against the literature.

In their own wordsView sourceArchived copy

“autoimmune diseases”

Rule: State Chiropractic Practice Act (scope limited to musculoskeletal/spine care)

See every doc bro advertising Hormone imbalance and replacement

Meagan von Holtz is not licensed or approved by state chiropractic licensing board to diagnose, treat, or cure hormonal imbalances.

hormonal imbalances

Supports

High-quality evidence directly showing that chiropractic treatment corrects clinically significant hormonal imbalances is essentially absent. A systematic review of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) and immune outcomes found only limited preliminary data that SMT may be associated with short‑term changes in immunological and endocrine biomarkers (such as cortisol), but explicitly stated that the clinical relevance of these biomarker changes is unknown and that no clinical evidence supports efficacy for immune outcomes.^[9] Some experimental and small RCT studies outside the indexed list report short-term changes in stress hormones (e.g., cortisol, neuropeptides) after spinal manipulation, suggesting that SMT can acutely influence the neuroendocrine system, but these are lab/biomarker outcomes, not treatment of defined endocrine diseases. Major endocrine guidelines (e.g., Endocrine Society clinical practice guidelines) outline pharmacologic therapy, lifestyle interventions, and occasionally surgery for hormonal disorders, and do not list chiropractic care as a recommended treatment modality.^[13][15]

Contradicts

The available evidence significantly contradicts the strong claim that chiropractic care is an effective treatment for hormonal imbalances as understood in endocrinology. The systematic review of SMT and infectious disease/immune outcomes concluded that there is no clinical evidence that SMT prevents disease or improves immune function, and that short‑term endocrine biomarker changes have unknown clinical relevance.^[9] This finding, along with other reviews summarizing neuroimmunoendocrine effects of spinal manipulation, indicates that observed hormonal changes are small, short-lived, and not linked to correction of disorders such as thyroid disease, diabetes, PCOS, menopause-related hormonal imbalance, or adrenal insufficiency. High-quality management guidelines for endocrine-related conditions (e.g., hypertension guidelines for neurohormonal regulation, nutrition guidelines in chronic disease) rely on medications, diet, and other evidence-based therapies, and do not mention chiropractic as a treatment.^[0][1][2] Overall, the evidence base for chiropractic as a treatment for hormonal imbalance is weak, mixed, and lacks disease-level outcomes.

Mainstream view

The mainstream medical and scientific position is that chiropractic care is primarily an evidence-based treatment for certain musculoskeletal conditions (such as low back pain), and not an established therapy for endocrine or hormonal disorders. Major endocrine societies and guideline groups do not recommend chiropractic as a treatment for hypertension, thyroid disease, diabetes, PCOS, menopausal symptoms, or other hormonal imbalances, instead emphasizing pharmacologic management, lifestyle modification (diet, exercise, weight loss), and other validated interventions.^{[0][1][2][13][15]} While spinal manipulation may cause short-term changes in stress-related hormones or neuropeptides, these effects are considered experimental, of uncertain magnitude and duration, and not sufficient to constitute treatment of endocrine disease. Mainstream clinicians may view claims that chiropractic can "treat hormonal imbalances" as unproven, potentially misleading, and not supported by high-quality randomized trials, meta-analyses, or guidelines.

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“hormonal imbalances”

Rule: State Chiropractic Practice Act (scope limited to musculoskeletal/spine care)

See every doc bro advertising Hormone imbalance and replacement

Meagan von Holtz is not licensed or approved by state chiropractic licensing board to diagnose, treat, or cure digestive disorders.

digestive disorders

Supports

High-quality evidence specifically supporting chiropractic treatment for digestive or gastrointestinal disorders is very limited. A narrative review of chiropractic treatment for GI disorders found primarily case reports and low-quality studies and concluded that chiropractic care (including spinal manipulation, soft tissue therapy, and mobilization) appears generally safe in people without contraindicating comorbidities, but did not demonstrate robust efficacy for GI disorders.^[1] Another narrative review focused on the gut–brain axis and chiropractic care reported potential associations between chiropractic interventions and improvements in bowel regularity, abdominal pain, and quality of life, but these findings were based largely on case reports and one small controlled trial, not high-quality randomized controlled trials or meta-analyses.^[14] For infantile colic, which is sometimes framed by chiropractors as a digestive complaint, a randomized controlled trial comparing spinal manipulation to dimethicone showed a greater short‑term reduction in crying in the manipulation group, suggesting a possible benefit for colic symptoms.^[5] A later systematic review of manipulative therapies (including chiropractic and osteopathic) for infant colic pooled several small RCTs and found that manipulative therapies reduced crying time by about 1.2 hours per day overall, although the benefit disappeared when only trials with adequate blinding of parents were considered.^[12] A recent randomized trial of osteopathic manual therapy for infant colic found reduced regurgitation and a trend toward less colic severity; this supports some benefit of manual therapy (not specifically chiropractic) on upper GI‑type symptoms in infants.^[9]

Contradicts

A peer‑reviewed assessment of chiropractic treatment for gastrointestinal problems explicitly concluded that there is no supportive evidence that chiropractic is an effective treatment for gastrointestinal disorders.^[2] A narrative review of chiropractic treatment and GI disorders similarly reported that available evidence is limited to case reports and low‑quality studies and that no convincing efficacy has been demonstrated.^[1] For infantile colic, multiple randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews have failed to show clear benefit of chiropractic spinal manipulation over placebo. One placebo‑controlled RCT in infants with colic found no significant effect of chiropractic spinal manipulation compared with sham treatment.^[4] A systematic review of chiropractic spinal manipulation for infant colic, pooling three RCTs, concluded that the total evidence does not demonstrate effectiveness of spinal manipulation for infant colic and that there is no good evidence that spinal manipulation is effective for this condition.^[7][10] A health‑technology assessment meta‑analysis of RCTs on spinal manipulation for infantile colic likewise found no convincing evidence that spinal manipulation can affect colic duration.^[11] A broader review of spinal manipulation and mobilisation in pediatric populations reported no evidence explicitly supporting effectiveness of these interventions for any pediatric condition, and judged the evidence for infant colic as inconclusive or insufficient.^[6] Overall, high‑quality systematic reviews and RCTs do not support chiropractic spinal manipulation as an effective treatment for non‑musculoskeletal conditions such as GI disorders, including infant colic.^[2][8]

Mainstream view

Mainstream medical and scientific consensus is that chiropractic care is primarily indicated for musculoskeletal conditions (e.g., back pain, neck pain) and not established as an evidence‑based treatment for digestive or gastrointestinal disorders. Major reviews of chiropractic for GI problems conclude that there is no convincing supportive evidence of efficacy for GI disorders.^[2][1] For infantile colic and other pediatric non‑musculoskeletal complaints that may have GI components, systematic reviews and meta‑analyses report insufficient or inconclusive evidence, with well‑designed placebo‑controlled trials showing no clear advantage of chiropractic spinal manipulation over sham or pharmacologic comparators.^{[4][7][10][11][6]} Consequently, mainstream guidelines for the management of GI disorders (e.g., irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, reflux, pediatric colic) emphasize dietary modification, pharmacologic therapy, psychological interventions, and, in some cases, other non‑pharmacologic approaches (such as probiotics, neuromodulation, or acupuncture) that have randomized trial support, rather than chiropractic manipulation. Any use of chiropractic for digestive disorders is generally considered experimental, based on low‑quality evidence, and not part of standard guideline‑based care.^[2][1]

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“digestive disorders”

Rule: State Chiropractic Practice Act (scope limited to musculoskeletal/spine care)

See every doc bro advertising IBS, SIBO and gut disorders

Meagan von Holtz is not licensed or approved by state chiropractic licensing board to diagnose, treat, or cure targeted supplementation.

targeted supplementation

No specific health claims of theirs were cross-checked against the literature.

In their own wordsView sourceArchived copy

“targeted supplementation”

Rule: State Chiropractic Practice Act (scope limited to musculoskeletal/spine care)

Meagan von Holtz is not approved to offer detoxification protocols within a Chiropractor scope of practice under state chiropractic licensing board.

detoxification protocols

No specific health claims of theirs were cross-checked against the literature.

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“detoxification protocols”

Rule: State Chiropractic Practice Act (scope limited to musculoskeletal/spine care)

Meagan von Holtz is not approved to offer Targeted Supplementation & Detox within a Chiropractor scope of practice under state chiropractic licensing board.

Targeted Supplementation & Detox

No specific health claims of theirs were cross-checked against the literature.

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“targeted supplementation”

Rule: State Chiropractic Practice Act (scope limited to musculoskeletal/spine care)