Overman
Master Poster
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2006
- Messages
- 2,629
My sister thru out her back this weekend (it made her miss my gig!) and from some friendly advice she was instructed to go to a chiropractor. I being the most available the next day (and having some advice of my own) volunteered to take care of my big sis and take her to the chosen chiropractor, however I would make her do some research first.
I allocated some quick resources from www.quackwatch.org and www.chirobase.org on the ride over and put them in a particular order for her to read.
First I suggested Why Chiropractic Is Controversial.
(http://www.chirobase.org/01General/controversy.html)
Then I followed that up with Chiropractic's Elusive Subluxation
(http://www.chirobase.org/01General/chirosub.html)
and then added a Medical Letter Report on Spinal Manipulation for good measure.
(http://medicalletter.org/freedocs/spinal.pdf)
For some much more biased/personal accounts reading I printed Why I Quit Chiropractic
(http://www.chirobase.org/03Edu/botnick.html)
and also How a Chiropractor Used Scare Tactics to Keep Me Coming Back
(http://www.chirobase.org/16Victims/hays.html)
And if none of this information had any effect on her I said at least follow the guidelines of What a Rational Chiropractor Can Do for You to help understand what can be done.
(http://www.chirobase.org/07Strategy/goodchiro.html)
I felt that these articles together presented an informative and general discussion on Chiropractics.
Unfortunately all of this information always goes right in one ear and out the other. You see, being a skeptic in a family of very unskeptical people I am considered the “weird” one who “never keeps an open mind” and “pushes his beliefs on people”.
The reality of it is that I simply tell them what is actually real, what will actually work, and demand logical arguments and proof before willing to accept spectacular claims. I have argued with almost my whole family on subjects such as psychics, mediums, ghosts, reflexology, the general merits of science (“yeah but what they say they know in science can just change tomorrow! (UGH!!!)”), hypnosis, magnet therapy, All loads of Da Vinci Code Crap, whither we have been to the moon, conspiracy theories in general, and now chiropractors. This list leaves out religion which is awholenother story! I admit that I begin wanting to teach, but it usually ends up rather heated discussions and my frustration at these people who I know are intelligent beings going along with this crap. They call me a know it all. I do not even pretend to!
Anyway, my sister continues along these claims, says she doesn’t care what I think and demands I keep my mouth shut at the chiropractor’s office. In Why Chiropractic Is Controversial. the list of consumer guidelines suggest to avoid practitioners who:
1. Appear overconfident or cultist in their zeal for chiropractic care
2. Disparage regular medicine as jealously antichiropractic
3. Criticize prescription drugs or surgery in an ideological manner
4. Attack immunization, fluoridation, pasteurization, or other public health practices
5. X-ray all of their patients, or routinely use full-spine x-rays.
6. Use scare tactics such as claiming that the failure to undergo chiropractic care could lead to serious problems in the future
7. Sell herbs or dietary supplements
8. Perform colonic irrigations. These have no medical value and can be dangerous [23].
9. Claim that subluxations exist and that their correction is important.
First thing I see is two large posters of Daniel David Palmer explaining how his theories revolutionized medicine (1 and 2). Below that he has a table on it with pamphlets against vaccination and immunization (4)! On his far wall is a large bookshelf filled with all kinds of herbs, vitamins, and other pills (7). I did not bother to ask about 3, 5, 8 but I could reasonably assume 6 and 9.
6 out of 9 warning signs!!!!
I began fuming with anger and frustration and paced around the yard in front smoking cigs to calm. A patient came out and I asked her a few questions. She had been going to the “Dr.” for over 6 years! At least once a month, sometimes more if she feels the need. This lady was not walking gracefully at all. I asked her if she had ever seen a real Doctor about her back. She told me that the doctors had told her that she had needed back surgery 6 years ago, but was raising small kids and just could not afford to be out that long. I wonder if she had the back surgery would her back still be in bad condition…
My sister finishes her appointment and I help her out and place her in the car, then burst back into the office. I told the Chiropractor in a very stern manner that if my sister showed any negative effects from whatever he did to her I would do everything in my power to bring a lawsuit on him and shut down his quack operation before he could blink.
I then stormed outside.
Probably not the best technique. I was very upset, angry, and frustrated by that point. In fact, he told my sister to go see a doctor if her pain continues and my sister said she was disappointed (“he didn’t seem to do anything…”) by her visit. I still won a victory though, my sis said she would not go back (mainly because I embarrassed her, but I think I might be rubbing off a little…).
Best part: She left her cell phone there! My aunt had to go later to pick it up, and I guess I got their attention, because all 4 employees came to greet her. My aunt explained that I have different views than most people; they replied “There is one in every family!”
If I am to be the one reasonable man in my family who does his best to protect the rest of his family who may be naïve on many matters, I will take that as a complement!!
Sorry so long,
Overman
I allocated some quick resources from www.quackwatch.org and www.chirobase.org on the ride over and put them in a particular order for her to read.
First I suggested Why Chiropractic Is Controversial.
(http://www.chirobase.org/01General/controversy.html)
Then I followed that up with Chiropractic's Elusive Subluxation
(http://www.chirobase.org/01General/chirosub.html)
and then added a Medical Letter Report on Spinal Manipulation for good measure.
(http://medicalletter.org/freedocs/spinal.pdf)
For some much more biased/personal accounts reading I printed Why I Quit Chiropractic
(http://www.chirobase.org/03Edu/botnick.html)
and also How a Chiropractor Used Scare Tactics to Keep Me Coming Back
(http://www.chirobase.org/16Victims/hays.html)
And if none of this information had any effect on her I said at least follow the guidelines of What a Rational Chiropractor Can Do for You to help understand what can be done.
(http://www.chirobase.org/07Strategy/goodchiro.html)
I felt that these articles together presented an informative and general discussion on Chiropractics.
Unfortunately all of this information always goes right in one ear and out the other. You see, being a skeptic in a family of very unskeptical people I am considered the “weird” one who “never keeps an open mind” and “pushes his beliefs on people”.
The reality of it is that I simply tell them what is actually real, what will actually work, and demand logical arguments and proof before willing to accept spectacular claims. I have argued with almost my whole family on subjects such as psychics, mediums, ghosts, reflexology, the general merits of science (“yeah but what they say they know in science can just change tomorrow! (UGH!!!)”), hypnosis, magnet therapy, All loads of Da Vinci Code Crap, whither we have been to the moon, conspiracy theories in general, and now chiropractors. This list leaves out religion which is awholenother story! I admit that I begin wanting to teach, but it usually ends up rather heated discussions and my frustration at these people who I know are intelligent beings going along with this crap. They call me a know it all. I do not even pretend to!
Anyway, my sister continues along these claims, says she doesn’t care what I think and demands I keep my mouth shut at the chiropractor’s office. In Why Chiropractic Is Controversial. the list of consumer guidelines suggest to avoid practitioners who:
1. Appear overconfident or cultist in their zeal for chiropractic care
2. Disparage regular medicine as jealously antichiropractic
3. Criticize prescription drugs or surgery in an ideological manner
4. Attack immunization, fluoridation, pasteurization, or other public health practices
5. X-ray all of their patients, or routinely use full-spine x-rays.
6. Use scare tactics such as claiming that the failure to undergo chiropractic care could lead to serious problems in the future
7. Sell herbs or dietary supplements
8. Perform colonic irrigations. These have no medical value and can be dangerous [23].
9. Claim that subluxations exist and that their correction is important.
First thing I see is two large posters of Daniel David Palmer explaining how his theories revolutionized medicine (1 and 2). Below that he has a table on it with pamphlets against vaccination and immunization (4)! On his far wall is a large bookshelf filled with all kinds of herbs, vitamins, and other pills (7). I did not bother to ask about 3, 5, 8 but I could reasonably assume 6 and 9.
6 out of 9 warning signs!!!!
I began fuming with anger and frustration and paced around the yard in front smoking cigs to calm. A patient came out and I asked her a few questions. She had been going to the “Dr.” for over 6 years! At least once a month, sometimes more if she feels the need. This lady was not walking gracefully at all. I asked her if she had ever seen a real Doctor about her back. She told me that the doctors had told her that she had needed back surgery 6 years ago, but was raising small kids and just could not afford to be out that long. I wonder if she had the back surgery would her back still be in bad condition…
My sister finishes her appointment and I help her out and place her in the car, then burst back into the office. I told the Chiropractor in a very stern manner that if my sister showed any negative effects from whatever he did to her I would do everything in my power to bring a lawsuit on him and shut down his quack operation before he could blink.
I then stormed outside.
Probably not the best technique. I was very upset, angry, and frustrated by that point. In fact, he told my sister to go see a doctor if her pain continues and my sister said she was disappointed (“he didn’t seem to do anything…”) by her visit. I still won a victory though, my sis said she would not go back (mainly because I embarrassed her, but I think I might be rubbing off a little…).
Best part: She left her cell phone there! My aunt had to go later to pick it up, and I guess I got their attention, because all 4 employees came to greet her. My aunt explained that I have different views than most people; they replied “There is one in every family!”
If I am to be the one reasonable man in my family who does his best to protect the rest of his family who may be naïve on many matters, I will take that as a complement!!
Sorry so long,
Overman
Scary quack.