Precisely. This is why I stated that infections are medical, not chiropractic, cases. Treating this patient (he’s not a condition) with chiropractic, homeopathic, acupuncture, or any other form of conservative alternative care while denying him the aggressive medical care at this late stage could indeed jeopardize his hearing and would therefore be inexcusable. This is not to suggest, of course, that adjunctive therapies in an attempt to correct the underlying cause of the recurrent infections, which could well be neurological, should not also be considered.
The same microbes found in his infected ears are circulating around everyone else’s ears at the same time. Yet these people do not succumb to the infection. It is irresponsible not to ask, “Why?” If athlete’s foot fungus causes athlete’s foot, why is it that only a couple of spots show the symptoms, rather than all eight ideal locations on the feet? And why does the spouse using the same shower and sleeping barefoot in the same bed inches away not “come down” with it? My microbiology professor offered this bit of wisdom: “If germs alone caused disease, no one would be alive to discuss it.” It is susceptibility to the microbes that allows the invading organisms to establish residence (i.e., infection). We are not saying the following has been categorically proven at this time, but what if by removing neurological dysfunction through chiropractic, acupuncture or whatever, the immune system were somehow augmented, making a person less susceptible? This would be a good thing, and many thousands of satisfied patients report this very observation, at least in terms of results, in their own lives. We don’t tell them they will get fewer colds or infections; they tell US that’s the result they and their children have enjoyed since they’ve been receiving care.
Many responsible chiropractic physicians these days limit their practice to neuromusculoskeletal complaints, since western medicine admits it has little to offer for acute and chronic low back pain, and then they see the improvements in other areas (which have often been unresponsive to traditional methods for years) while the patients are under care for the NMS problems.
The problem here goes beyond the lack of any evidence that spinal manipulation affects the immune system.
It is valueless to state that there are “many thousands of satisfied patients”. Anecdotal evidence such as this typically includes a lack of initial reliable initial diagnosis (do the patients involved actually have infections, for instance?) and include people with about any website offering quack cures and find similar testimonials which are impossible to verify.
Unfortunately such claims are not borne out by well-designed clinical trials.
Your premise is false. About the best that can be said for chiropractic is that it works about as well as physical therapy and other forms of standard medical treatment in a subset of patients with chronic back pain, and may help some who do not respond to other treatments.
And unfortunately, there are still plenty of irresponsible chiropractors who claim to treat bedwetting, infections etc. without a shred of reliable supporting evidence. Including this guy, who is one of numerous chiros who regard childbirth as a disease, making it logical to treat newborns (he also claims to relieve hemorrhoids).
To the OP - chronic ear infections can be frustrating, but you may well find a workable solution through consulting with an ENT physician. A chiro who claims to be able to help in this situation is one to avoid.
That should read, “Anecdotal evidence such as this typically includes a lack of initial reliable initial diagnosis (do the patients involved actually have infections, for instance?) and include people with transient complaints that typically wax and wane, or resolve on their own.”
I liked the part, right after they found a chiropractor who was adjusting an infant, Penn looked straight into the camera, dead-serious, and called that guy a “baby twisting mthr fckr”. There is no reason that a baby should be worked on by a chiropractor.
Thanks for all the replies again. I didn’t mean to open such a can of worms. We’ve been contacted my the ENT, and have an appointment to meet with him. If the doctor recommends tubes, by all means, we’ll go through with it.
It’s not just unproven. It hasn’t been demonstrated. There’s a lot of forms of alternative medicine that have clearly been shown to work. And my (limited) knowledge of chiropractic suggests that it is an excellent form of treatment for back problems (you’re quite right about Western medicine’s bad track record in the area.)
If it’s used in a reasonable manner - without promising to cure things it can’t, and without resorting to quack pseudoscience (subluxations, anyone?) then I think it’s a fine thing. And I’m pretty certain most chiropractors practice medicine in a competent, ethical manner.
But it’s not appropriate to make claims about it based on anecdotal evidence (since we all know how strong the placebo effect can be), because that can lead people to avoid proper treatment for diseases, and can subject them to a small but unnecessary risk of injury or death from chiropractic manipulation. It’s not inherently different from any other form of medicine that way: it’s excellent when used properly, but can be downright dangerous when it’s not.
There’s a lot of medical research done on alternative medicine, and a lot of it has been shown to be remarkably effective. If chiropractic has not been shown to be effective in one particular area, it’s irresponsible to suggest it be used for that purpose. I’m glad you suggest it as a complimentary approach in this instance, and I don’t see a problem with that. I just want to be sure, though, that people not turn to unproven or unsafe forms of medicine instead of the ones known to be effective.
I’m always amused when a chiro fan extolls the virtues of chiro by stating “I’ve been going to this guy for my back for years!”. Well, uh, it doesn’t seem like it’s helping all that much to me…
My other favorite is how chiro fans claim that the chiropractic “cures” disease. When pressed, they will admit that the chiro doesn’t actually “cure” anything, but the treatment “allows one to cure oneself”. That is an ideal situation for the chiropractor- if the patient doesn’t get better, it’s the patients fault!
I might spend some more time trying to find the basis for the JAMA recommendations later.
Is it not sufficient for you that spinal manipulation is listed under ‘Proven Treatment Options’ and massage therapy is not?
Do you consider The Journal of the American Medical Association to be quackery?
No opinions to share (wow, that’s a first) but I do have a weird anecdote: about 25 years ago some friends of my family had a baby girl, who had Colic From Hell for almost a year. Constant screaming, people. Nothing soothed her unless they were driving in the car; the rest of the time the kid was flipping out.
I’m not sure who told her mother to take her to the chiropractor, but in a moment of desperation she did. One visit, and the colic was gone. Happy baby.
YMMV, IANAD, I am not endorsing chiropractors, yada yada yada. Just thought it was unusual.
[QUOTE=Excalibre]
There’s a lot of forms of alternative medicine that have clearly been shown to work./QUOTE]Cite?
There’s no such thing as “alternative medicine.” If a treatment has been proven to be safe and effective, it’s “medicine.” If it hasn’t been shown to be safe and effective, it’s not “medicine,” but is, instead, some sort of speculative treatment that may do nothing, may harm you, or may simply enrich the person peddling it. While there’s a chance that it may actually do you some good, it’s a bet that no sane person should take.
Are you making a claim about nomenclature? Because I can argue that with you, but I don’t see the point.
If your claim is that there are no working herbal remedies or that acupuncture doesn’t work, it’s incorrect. Frankly, I don’t want to go to the trouble of finding a cite for something that’s commonly known and has been published in any number of places.
Again, cite? AFAIK, there has never been a controlled study that proved that acupuncture was effective, to say nothing of the fact that the underlying theory of acupuncture is complete nonsense, with no scientific support whatsoever. Here’s a nice summation:
In short, it’s just quackery.
Herbal remedies are a tougher nut to crack, since some herbal remedies have, indeed, been proven to be effective. That makes them “medicine.” Most of the herbal remedies that are widely peddled to the masses, however, have absolutely nothing besides anecdotes to back them up. The only reason they get away with it is because the supplements industry donated a lot of money to the campaigns of Orrin Hatch (check out the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, which effectively tied the FDA’s hands when it comes to regulating herbal remedies).
If you take unproven herbal remedies, you have no idea what you’re getting, and you have no idea whether it will help you or harm you. “Here, take these pills - they’ll cure whatever ails you. No, they haven’t been tested to ensure that they contain what they say they contain. No, I can’t demonstrate that they’re safe. No, I can’t guarantee that they’ll help you in any way, shape, or form. Just trust me.” No thank you.
