John H. Renner, M.D., a self-proclaimed investigator of quackery and long-time enemy of chiropractic, testified before a joint congressional subcommittee and presented an outrageous table of figures: "Estimated Annual Costs of Quackery Devices and Quack Remedies." In that table, he states that 60% of the 40,000 chiropractors in the United States (24,000) were "Quacks or Dubious Practitioners." You won't be surprised that he relegates only one percent of his fellow MDs for that same distinction.
Dr. Renner is the president of an obscure Kansas City, Missouri group, the Consumer Health Information Research Institute. The group proclaims its mission as the "dissemination of accurate health information and the identification of misinformation and quackery." Dr. Renner is also a member of the board of directors of the National Council Against Health Fraud.
While he apparently had no data to support his fanciful conclusions, Dr. Renner also offered the subcommittees an improbable estimation of the annual cost to the U.S. of this supposed chiropractic quackery: $4,800,000,000. This figure was listed on this farcical table under "Total Device/Quackery Costs."
Dr. Renner presented his misinformation on April 9, 1992 to the Subcommittee for Small Business, Regulation, Business Opportunities and Energy -- Ron Wyden (D-OR), chairman, and the Select Committee on Aging Subcommittee on Health and Long Term Care -- Edward Roybal (D-CA), chairman.
The Mercy Center Conference Guidelines were among the many documents used to combat Dr. Renner's assault. The Guidelines were very important to the establishment of the chiropractic profession in the minds of the congressional leaders of the two subcommittees. Fortunately, the Mercy Center document was made part of the official record of the proceedings. Anyone reading these proceedings will discover Dr. Renner's testimony with the important chiropractic documentation necessary to refute his quackery rantings.
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?
