What is chiropractic? Chiropractic means different things to different people. For some, it is a practical way to get quick relief from mechanical back pain. For others, it is a cult, a belief system based on demonstrably false ideas, a magnet for every kind of quackery, and a hoax that… read more "Chiropractic – A Little PT, a Lot of Nonsense"
Hole-in-One Chiropractor
Chiropractor Ryan Alter of Delray Beach, Florida, was featured on TV as a miracle worker who cures migraines and other health problems with “a cutting edge technique” only offered by 250 practitioners around the world: Atlas orthogonal. You can see the video clips at http://www.alterchiropractic.com/ His machine looks like a… read more "Hole-in-One Chiropractor"
Misleading Ads for Back Pain Treatment
There was a full-page ad in my local paper today for Back in Action Spine and Health Centers, targeted at sufferers from almost any kind of chronic back pain. It started with “Are You Ready to Throw in the Towel and Just Live with Hurting So Bad?” It went on… read more "Misleading Ads for Back Pain Treatment"
Chiropractic Strokes Again! A Landmark Lawsuit in Canada
Sandra Nette is a prisoner, condemned to spend the rest of her life in the cruelest form of solitary confinement. Her intact mind is trapped in a paralyzed body and she is unable to speak. She can move one arm just enough to type on a special keyboard. She cannot… read more "Chiropractic Strokes Again! A Landmark Lawsuit in Canada"
Chiropractic and Stroke
I wonder how many people have heard that chiropractic neck adjustments can cause strokes. It isn’t exactly common knowledge. One organization is trying to raise public awareness through signs on the side of city buses (Injured by a Chiropractor? Call this number) and through TV commercials. I had never heard… read more "Chiropractic and Stroke"
Science and Chiropractic
In the comments to a previous blog entry, a chiropractor made the following statements: 1. Chiropractic is a science.2. Chiropractic is based on neurology, anatomy and physiology.3. Chiropractors are doctors of the nervous system.4. Chiropractic improves health and quality of life. I offered to write a blog entry on the… read more "Science and Chiropractic"
No-Touch Chiropractic
Some time ago, I learned that a Seattle chiropractor, Johanna Hoeller, had been featured on a local TV newsmagazine show. She was so proud of the segment that she had it posted on her web page for all to see. Unfortunately it is no longer there, so I’ll have to… read more "No-Touch Chiropractic"
Don’t Let Them Hoodia-Wink You
I first heard of Hoodia last summer, when a radio ad told me it was the new miracle weight loss pill. Since then, I’ve been seeing ads for Hoodia everywhere. Anna Nicole Smith took it. It was featured on Oprah. Lesley Stahl went to Africa to taste the plant on… read more "Don’t Let Them Hoodia-Wink You"
Critical Chiropractor, Inept Publisher
Book review of: The P.R.E.S.T.O.N. Protocol for Back Pain: The Seven Evidence-Based Practices for Living Pain Free, by Preston H. Long. PublishAmerica: Baltimore, 2006. 84 pp. ISBN 1- 4241-0684-2. Paperback, $14.95. I really, really wanted to recommend The P.R.E.S.T.O.N. Protocol for Back Pain, but I cannot. It is full… read more "Critical Chiropractor, Inept Publisher"
Fix Your Ruptured Disk Without Surgery? The Truth Behind the Ads
“Space Age technology cures back pain without surgery – 86% success rate.” Ads like this have been inundating my local newspaper. I wanted to know more. I am a medical doctor, and I wondered why my medical journals had neglected to tell me about this wonderful new discovery. I… read more "Fix Your Ruptured Disk Without Surgery? The Truth Behind the Ads"