A very charismatic and pleasant man was invited (by one of the members who is a chiropractic patient of his) to address our Rotary club this evening. He is a “chiropractic neurologist” and was careful to specify that he is not a medical doctor … but … he does treat people with neurological problems, most often after they have gone through the gauntlet of traditional medicine and have found no relief.
He pointed out that one benefit of this is that by the time the patients come to him they are at the exit gate for what traditional medicine can do for them and most of the intensive testing is already done and available to him. The main detector of neurological problems is (in his practice) both body and eye movements while doing various diagnostic exercises. The treatment is various exercises but he did not get specific on this part of the therapy. He indicated he treated (not cured) MS and PTSD patients and their neurological functioning become better and more “balanced”.
He went on about brain structures, where damage occurs in athletes and accident victims and all the problems this causes that he treats. we had two retired medical doctors (who are members of the club and in their 70’s) in the audience and they were eating it up. He ended up basically encouraging everyone to do rhythmic exercise like dancing or Tai Chi and do memory exercises as there were the most effective exercises at maintaining healthy brain/body neurological functioning.
Is this stuff for real? He’s (seemingly) basically treating serious neurological dysfunctions with various exercise therapies.
It’s true that some conditions just don’t respond or cannot respond to treatment at the present time so giving these folk harmless alternatives is not unreasonable on the face of it. Unfortunately, this usually involves a significant transfer of wealth from ill, often desperate people, into the pockets of crooked shitehawks such as the charismatic, pleasant man you saw speak.
I occasionally drink some beers with a dude who is a chiropractor. He is depressed over the fact that he cannot be profitable in practice without dabbling in some related woo, which his clientele loves. He has a small vitamin/nutraceutical/homeopathic remedy display which he knows is crap, but is highly profitable.
I really feel for him. He wants to treat back pain and is good at it, but he has people who want him to cure their various ailments.
To be fair, telling people to do regular low-impact cardio-friendly exercise as well as memory and other mentally-stimulating activities is good advice, particularly for the elderly and those who due to illness tend towards the sedentary.
At least this guy was upfront about being a chiropractor. Other “specialists” like this tend to conceal their background.
For instance, one of our local chiros advertises extensively in the newspaper about his supposed expertise in treating obesity, diabetes etc. You have to hunt really hard through his giant ads to find any indication that he’s a chiro.
Depressing note from hospital tumor conference - we had a case presented of a young man with back pain who went to a chiropractor and deteriorated despite chiro ministrations. When he made it to the hospital, it was found that he had multiple bone lesions which turned out to be metastatic tumor. There are drugs (including those targeting specific tumor mutations) that successfully treat his particular disease, at least for a time.
But maybe what he really needs is dance therapy. :dubious:
Homeopathic vitamins-that sounds good to me-what are they, sugar pills or distilled water? Amazes me what kind of rubbish people will believe in. You feel sorry for a scam artist?
There’s a guy named Dan Yacker who advertises a weight loss program on the radio locally. In the ads he refers to himself as “Dr. Dan Yacker.” However, from prior versions of the ad I know he’s a DC. :rolleyes:
There are a limited number of things for which chiro can be as good as the other options.
Usually, the other options are not all that hot either.
If your problem is that you need your spine manipulated then a chiropractor can help.
If your problem is asthma, diabetes, ringworm, or any thing other than needing your spine manipulated, then a chiropractor not the place to go.
Does his program involve eating right and exercising?
I have thought many times about advertising a weight loss system along those lines.
Like those Depression era ads for a 100% effective bug killer–they sent you two small wooden blocks to squish bugs between.
I have seen in my law practice a wide spectrum of chiropractic practitioners. Some, (many), appear to be just quacks. Others, especially in Oregon (for some reason) seem to be quite respected and respectable. I have had MDs refer patients for chiropractic care, including to specialties like radiology and neurology. Certainly neuro-exercising is a recognized treatment for MTBI, and is used by neuropsychologists. I could see some potential for alternative treatments for things like MS.
The fundamental premise of chiropracty, upon which their ‘science’ and treatment philosophy is based is that of subluxations in the spine cause all disease, and adjustments of the spine hence cure and even prevent disease. This principle is invalid. Yet it’s still the basis for chiropractic education and training.
Some chiropractors recognize this lack of validity to their ‘science’ and focus on the few techniques they do know which have some evidence of being somewhat useful; manipulation of the back for musculo-skeletal pain. They also may embrace other valid practices such as ultrasound therapies, TENS units, and other things already used by bona fide physical therapists, physiatrists, and other rehab specialists. Their use of proven therapies from mainstream medicine does not validate their core premise in any way.
I once shared an office with a chiro. He entered the profession to help people, and only then discovered the principles he’d been taught were unfounded in actual science. So he focused on ‘scientific chiropracty’ which only employed techniques demonstrated to be of benefit (which made him many enemies in the chiropractic community at large). He was quite regretful he’d ever entered the profession, because the patients that came to him frequently wanted ‘the woo’ and went elsewhere when he didn’t supply it.
It’s part of a general trend in the blurring of traditional lines. I’m only a few credits away from earning my online degree in psychological proctology.
Uh, apparently one of those guys is who Glenn Beck claimed got his mind in order or something. On FB I asked, “Does that mean his bone of contention has been set right?”
I have always had it in for chiro - they are divided into quacks who know they are quacks and work every angle to strip money from patients and insurance, well-meaning sorts who can’t come to terms with fact that they’ve committed to a woo career, and those who are really, really full to the brim with kool-aid and believe in their hearts that “subluxations” cause all bodily ill.
At that, I’d set aside my spears for the crowd that pushes things like horseback riding as autism therapy.