Last fall I read an article that blasted the Research Agenda Conference IV (RAC IV) because Dr. Ian Coulter recommended that our profession abandon the antiquated subluxation theory.1 The article said that 90% of those in attendance agreed with Dr. Coulter. I was very disappointed I missed the conference. It made me happy to know that there are those in leadership positions who realize that our profession's survival in the next century must be based on science.
Even though people like Don Petersen plead for chiropractors to work together, the differences may be too great for one profession. Our profession is so diametrically opposed in so many areas that a split may benefit both camps. Imagine how hard it is for a wellness chiropractor to convince a new patient that they need 20 treatments a year when that patient's previous DC had a "treat and release" practice.
Conversely, how many thousands of people have been turned off by those who practice with a "philosophy" geared toward overutilization driven by greed? Where is the literature to support the "catastrophic effects" the vast majority of the people on this planet supposedly suffer because they are not receiving regular manipulations? Where are the insurance studies to prove that people who go to the chiropractor 15 or 20 times a year, whether they have pain or not, have fewer injuries, less illness, longer lives, or lower health care costs?
When I consult a new patient, I have to waste valuable time to inform them what kind of chiropractor I am. I have to tell them that:
The only thing "real" DCs and I agree upon is that we would both like the public to look at our title and have an idea of what we do. Maybe all DCs would benefit if those of us who reject pseudoscientific subluxation-based philosophical chirobabble (designed to addict the world to manipulation) had a different title. I would proudly introduce myself as a medipractor, a treatipractor, a physical medicine therapist, a doctor of chiropractic medicine, or whatever it would take to inform the public there is a basic difference.
In any profession, there will be differences in how one approaches various conditions. Generally speaking, healthy scientific debate benefits both patients and clinicians. However, I fail to see any common ground between those who try to see each patient as many times as possible, regardless of symptoms, and those who see each patient as few times as possible to eliminate symptoms. Maybe the best way for both sides to flourish in the new millennium is with a formal division.
For Dessert ...
Last summer, I was flipping through a stack of Johns Hopkins Medical Letters called "Health After Fifty." An article on new arthritis drugs caught my eye.2 The article focused on the new Cox-2 inhibitors, which had 2.5 million prescriptions written in the first three months they were on the market. The good news was that these drugs only killed 10 people and only caused an additional 11 to be hospitalized with internal hemorrhage. This is a much better record than traditional arthritis drugs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, a.k.a. NSAIDs) which, according to the authors, cause 75,000 hospitalizations and 7,500 deaths in the United States each year from internal bleeding.2 The article also touched on additional options for the treatment of osteoarthritis, which included half-dozen different types of surgery.
This piece made me quite angry for two reasons. First, imagine the uproar if chiropractors, acupuncturists, naturopaths or massage therapists caused even a fraction of the morbidity and mortality that is attributed to NSAID "treatment" of arthritis every year. Second, the article did not mention nutritional supplements at all. This spring, we will take a closer look at the question, "Does American academic medicine have an anti-supplement bias?" Stay tuned.
References
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
