Chiropractic is not an alternative to medicine nor is it complementary to medicine. It is a separate and distinct science, art and philosophy of health and healing. Chiropractic is the largest natural healing art in the world. It is based on the premise that the body is a self healing organism and that the nervous system is the master control system of the body. Minor displacements of the spinal bones, known as vertebral subluxations, can cause endangering stress to the spinal cord which acts as the main line of intelligence for the whole body. These displacements, or subluxations, are the cause of many of the unwanted health conditions that people suffer from every day. Although there have been many valuable techniques that have been developed in the chiropractic profession, the Gonstead System is considered a "gold standard" for chiropractic techniques because of its record of safety and effectiveness in correcting vertebral subluxation.