Counsel in Dissent, Part IV

The editor/publisher of DC, Donald Petersen Jr., cogently pointed out in his July 14th "Report of my Findings" that the health care "tide is turning." I suggest we need to continue emphasizing our patient-oriented care, and recapture and expand both our straight and mixer heritage if we are to ride the crest of this turning tide into the 21st century.

Palmer to Parker to Pischinger and Beyond

When recently teaching my personal injury seminar, a student kept insisting that nerves "go to every cell in the body." That is simply not correct (see Fig. 1). The nerves go to the extracellular matrix space adjacent to every cell in the body. This may seem like a minor distinction, and indeed it is a small step for chiropractors to take. However, it is a quantum leap for our ability to lead the market for alternative care and to potentially increase our legal scope of practice.

My understanding of D.D.'s basic position is captured in the following quotation from page 686 of The Science, Art and Philosophy of Chiropractic (1910):

"... Disease is but the performance of functions in either an excessive or deficient amount.

"All diseases shorten life by deteriorating the quality of the tissue; they hamper the intellectual progress of Innate. Knowledge is gathered through the physical according as Innate is able to co-ordinate the spiritual with the material body." (Emphasis added.)

D.D. further proposed that "Innate" performs its coordinating function through the nervous system. The so-called straights are obviously correct to argue there is more here than mere "action potential."

In effect, D.D. (in the above quote and otherwise) captured the ideas of homeostasis, cybernetics and the idea that the human body is an open system receiving energy/information from outside itself. These ideas are at the leading edge of thinking in our information age and I am sure that D.D. would feel relatively comfortable with one of the leading spokespersons (Norbert Wiener) for cybernetics, who has stated:

"We are but whirlpools in a river of ever-flowing water. We are not stuff that abides, but patterns that perpetuate themselves."

We need to refine our model by incorporating new data related to our basic theoretical construct as it emerges. As a profession, we must address two questions:

1. Is the nervous system the exclusive regulator of homeostasis?


2. Is the IVF the only location where disturbed homeostasis can arise?

To ask the questions is to perhaps answer them, but I will go further. I attended a Parker seminar a few years ago and enjoyed hearing Dr. Jim Parker argue that there are "subluxations above the foramen magnum." A bio-medical model emerging from German (medical) naturopaths demonstrates the potential for "subluxations beyond the IVF" (for my present purposes I will define a subluxation as any derangement of tissue, or any of its component parts, which results in altered bodily function). These naturopaths argue, in effect, that the extracellular compartment (other than organ/parenchymal cells) "regulates" the intracellular function and that problems arise first in the extracellular compartment. Further, that the extracellular compartment is the key arena for both preventive and chronic care.

The Basis for Holistic Medicine per Pishinger, MD

Please note the interrelationship between the nervous system (chiropractic), the vascular system (osteopathy) and the fluid component which is primarily water. The importance of water (memory) to the concepts of homeopathy is rapidly gaining recognition. The extracellular compartment extends throughout the whole body and small cylinders of the extracellular compartment project up to the body surface. These projections are referred to as Heine cylinders and generally coincide with the acupuncture points.

The German naturopaths contrast this extracellular model with the allopathic model based on Virchow's cell theory, which limited the concept of disease to disturbances of individual cells. Of course the establishment medical model is also based on Darwinian biology. The allopathic model should not be allowed a legally supported monopoly in health care, or in the marketplace of ideas.

These same naturopaths contend that, among other things, all natural therapies assist the body to regulate the extracellular compartment. What therapies fall within this category? Should they fall within the chiropractic scope of practice?

It should be noted that in California, for example, a chiropractor is not entitled to utilize herbs, homeopathic remedies or similar substances and may only use "vitamins, food supplements, and food substances" as an adjunct to an adjustment (at least as stated in Board Rule 302.) This makes it rather difficult to follow Dr. Gonstead's advice to "find them, fix them and leave them alone."

We should do any and all things necessary to recapture and/or preserve our right to use all natural substances and treatment protocols within the vision of care being addressed herein.

Eclectics, "Mixers," Naturopaths and Chiropractors

Dr. Keating of LACC has revealed that between 1922 and 1947 every president of each of the schools which ultimately became LACC held both a DC and ND degree; 17 of 18 other administrators held both a DC and ND degrees, as did 19 of 27 faculty members. There were six full-time professors at LACC in 1947 and five had only the ND degree.

Indeed, until the late '40s (or early '50s) LACC always offered a dual degree of DC and ND. What happened? Several different answers have been offered. I think chiropractors felt that the days of herbal medicine, etc. had passed with the coming of the new antibiotics and other wonder drugs of that era. Whatever the reasons, we have abandoned, and at least in California, we have lost many of these "eclectic-mixer" practice rights under Rule 302 as presently stated. The naturopaths however are coming back with a vengeance and with a much broader legal scope of practice than we enjoy in most if not all states.

I don't like the term "naturopath." This was a proprietary term purchased by Benjamin Lust in the early part of this century. Benjamin Lust is credited with being the founder of naturopathy in the United States. He founded a "School of Naturopathic and Chiropractic Medicine" in New York in 1907. It is interesting to note that in that same year, the California governor was granted the authority to appoint 11 members to a board to regulate the practice of medicine. The board was to be composed of five MDs, two homeopaths, two eclectics and two osteopaths.

The term eclectic means one who mixes the best from available sources. The eclectic (or "mixers") were a major force in the 19th century but became absorbed into chiropractic and naturopathy during the early part of this century. The eclectics emphasized botanical medicine.

Although naturopaths and chiropractors share the common heritage of the eclectic movement, we no longer share an equivalent scope of practice. The following partial definition of the scope of practice of naturopaths in Hawaii (Professions and Occupations, Code Section 455-1) will serve as a useful example:

"'Natural Medicine' encompasses substances of botanical, mineral, and animal origin, homeopathic preparations thereof, and substances whose natural state has been improved in any process that does not substantially alter the molecular structure found in nature, including vitamins, minerals, and amino acids: . . .

"'Naturopathy' means the practice of:

1. Natural medicine, natural therapeutics, and natural procedures, for the purpose of removing toxic conditions from the body and improving the quality, quantity, harmony, balance, and flow of vital fluids, vital tissues, and vital energy;" (Emphasis added.)


2. In this section naturopaths are authorized to diagnose, treat and care for patients using a variety of means including spinal manipulation and arguably those additional means utilized by the German naturopaths such as bioresonance therapy, acupuncture according to Voll, neural therapy, etc. ..."

Their scope of practice obviously includes, but, in my opinion, goes far beyond the "wellness" model being promoted by many chiropractic leaders.

In April, 1995 the NIH Office of Alternative Medicine enpaneled 11 persons to define and describe complementary and alternative medicine. The group was dominated by naturopaths and persons from traditional Chinese medicine. No chiropractor participated. The panel stated, in part:

"Examples (of alternative care) include prevention of disease, pain control, enhancement of wellness, treatment of chronic disease, spiritual growth, spiritual salvation,preservation of internal and/or external balance or harmony, avoidance of synthetic substances, and minimalintervention."

Again, this goes beyond just wellness. I realize that those who are suggesting the use of the wellness model may seek to encompass these concepts into wellness. If so, why try to create a new paradigm when *** the concepts are already identified as within alternative medicine itself? Why not just claim that territory?

A detailed analysis of how we might go about claiming that territory is beyond the scope of this article, but we would need to do at least:

1. Develop, refine and use a biomedical model which will allow us to lead, coordinate and integrate both the preventive and treatment aspects of the alternative care movement.


2. Vocally, and consistently, call for an end to discrimination against chiropractors.


3. Demand proportional representation within the NIH Office of Alternative Medicine and similar governmental entities (FDA et al.).


4. Challenge on equal protection and other constitutional grounds, plus other legal grounds (antitrust, etc.), all exclusionary policies under the law (e.g., managed care plans).


5. Assert the constitutional right (liberty interest) of patients to choose and have access to alternative care.

It may be as Dr. Winterstein of NCC has alleged that people presently laugh when we claim to be the leaders of the alternative care movement. I think they will stop laughing when chiropractic recaptures and expands its true heritage and vigorously seeks to assert its leadership role.

References available from:

Dr. David Prescott
1442 Irvine Blvd., Ste. 211
Tustin, Calif. 9268
(714)649-0661