Florida State University's planned chiropractic program has been getting some attention lately. "Dr. Ray Bellamy, a longtime Tallahassee orthopedic surgeon, has quickly become the the loudest naysayer in town." He apparently views the practice as pseudoscience and without supporting evidence in defining it as a discipline. FSU's proposition is: " joint degree, part doctor of chiropractic degree and part master's degree in one of five areas: aging studies; food and nutrition; movement science; health policy; or public health." David Ramey, D.V.M has an article in which he points out some very interesting facts, such as the risks of cervical manipulation and injury to cervical vertebral arteries. The article is a defense of PBS's criticism of chiropractic medicine. The The National Council Against Health Fraud, Inc. has a position paper on chiropractic medicine and makes a distinction between scientific chiropracors and non-scientific chiropractors.
Chiropractors by definition are licenced to depleate your Health Insurance Company. A chiropractor came to where I was working in 1985 and told everone at my work to come in for a free back adjustment. All of us who went to the chiropractor were diagnosed with back problems, then the chiropractor started charging our company health insurance so much that the insurance company ran an investigation for fraud.
I went to see a chirpracter after I displaced a vertebrae. My Doctor's attitude was to sign me off work, and give me a lot of pain killers, and it would right itself. So, not really being will to do that, and having a fond memory of being able to stand upright, I used my private medical insurance to get a back X-Ray, and took that along to a chiropracter. He was the scientific kind though, for sure, and I got him on a recommendation. I asked him about the broad spectrum of applications, and he said they just treat back problems, and don't re-align chakras etc. He said he was 'a mechanist' and to him the body was a machine that went wriong every now and again. Anyway, in three sessions I was fixed. No chanting, crystals or mysticism, just ultrasound and back massage. I do however understand Bellamy's concerns. Even mechanists can pose a danger, as an aquaintance had a vertebrae fractured by a chiropracter, or so she claimed. Although, without having had a back X-Ray first, that could have been the cause of her initial discomfort. Utlimately, it's about personal choice, but I would suggest people seek recognised medical advice before trying anything vaguely alternative. Surely though, a University, with a good reputation is the best place to teach and study chiropractic? Any validity can be proven, falsehoods debunked, and the curriculum well vetted. Maybe Bellamy should volunteer as an advisor on the curriculum, and get more medical professionals involved, so the teachings aren't questionable?
Just as an update, Florida kills proposal for nation's first chiropractic school at a public university. Ridicule by the university's falculty and lack of evidence to support the notion that chiropractic "medicine" is anything but pseudoscience were apparently the reasons. Now, if the insurance companies would start listening to the American Medical Association and stop paying for chiropractic care, maybe our health care costs will go down since people with real injuries and afflictions would get real care -and spurious injuries/afflictions would be more avoided. This news link might be subscription, but it let me in without a login process... I can't guarantee that it'll work for everyone: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/10753709.htm Try this link if it doesn't work: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/10753709.htm?1c It appears to let you in free the first time, but wants you to register the second time. Ordinarily, I wouldn't quote that much, but everyone might not be able to get to the full story, which is about 1100 words long. It seems clear that chiropractic care amounts to pseudoscience. While there is much that can be done legitimately by the techniques used by chiropracters, there is also much damage that can be done. It also seems obvious that such a loosely defined discipline is an easy target for those who are willing to take advantage of "patients" by telling them they need treatments that are either unnecessary or even questionable (magnetic therapy, aroma therapy, etc.). I'm not opposed to people seeking out the "treatments" they feel works for them, like aroma therapy, but I am opposed to paying for these treatments. This is exactly what I do when I pay my health insurance premiums, since many, if not most, insurance companies are accepting chiropractic care as valid. Of the legitimate treatments a chiropracter does, a certified medical physician can also perform -and often does. If I'm going to have my spine manipulated, I'd rather have it done by a physician who is also educated in other bodily systems and has more complete knowlege of medical procedures and the problems that can be anticipated. The counter argument, of course, is that chiropracters are trained for specific tasks, and therefore have more knowlege/experience in spinal manipulation, etc. I don't find that argument convincing. The physical properties of the spine would seem to be a finite set of information for either the doctor or the chiropracter. Physicians have the added confidence from me because they consult one-another and refer to one-another when they recognize their knowlege or experience is lacking. That an experienced family doctor isn't at least as knowlegeable as the average chiropracter in correcting alignment problems (if they even exist) or relieving pain is ludicrous. But the quotes above make it clear that politics can have a great deal of effect on the perceived validity of pseudoscientific methods, practices, and notions. -------------------------- Pseudoscience, its not just for UFO nutters.
I seen a chiropractor on and off over 5 or 6 years. My main reasons for not going anymore are the insistence that I need "monthly adjustments", paying $30 for a consultation that lasts about 5 minutes and double-booking appointments (they all do it). Shysters I tells ya Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
I went to one twice, at the urging of an ex-girlfriend. First time, back popped pretty nice. Next time, I left with a very sore lower back and a neck that needs to be cracked fairly regularly. I found out later that he was billing me $25, but telling my insurance company he charged $50. He went through the whole deal about if this vertabra is out of whack, your kidney function will be adversely affected. If that one is off, you'll have memory problems. The other? fatigue .... etc. Right. He said he'd like to see me come in 3 times a week for the next 8 weeks, at which time my "sub-laxation" would be corrected and I'd be in perfect health.... Sure. Watch how fast I go. Feels good to have your back "popped" now and then, but to believe that "sub-laxations" in your spine cause every disease or condition - from liver failure to toe jam - and paying $30-$40 a session, 3 days a week, for 8+ weeks is pretty insane. Of course, the ex believed in iridology and reflexology as well ...
Chirophractic medicine has been shown to work in the same sens that therapeutic massage works. Anything more than that is bullshit.
