We Get Letters & E-Mail

I Am Sorry

Editor's note: Dr. Michael Lynn sent us the following letter to the editor, explaining that he had recently sent the same letter to "all of my govt. reps" in his home state of California. Note: Letter has been edited from its original for grammar and style.

Dear Editor:

I have been a licensed doctor of chiropractic for over 28 years. I do not consider it bragging to state that with 28 years of practice comes a wealth of knowledge and experience. Unfortunately, this knowledge and experience is almost totally disregarded and considered of little value to our state and federal legislators. Very truthfully, there seems to be less appreciation and an increase of persecution toward my choice of profession in America, and especially in California. Therefore: I am sorry...

1. That my father, a WWII, Korea and Vietnam veteran, injured his back while in Vietnam. He required back surgery that only partially removed the pain. He was sent to a chiropractor by the military doctor.
2. That chiropractic care actually helped my father, which my father had to pay for by himself, leading me on a path toward a potential career choice.
3. For when I was a young man, wanting to do something useful and important with my life.
4. For wanting to help mankind, especially through health care.
5. For thinking I would like to join the military as a chiropractor, only to be laughed out of the building, being informed that there was no need for my profession.
6. For not getting involved in drugs and abusing my body to the point that I am not useful to society. For not being a financial drain on our welfare and Medicare systems.
7. For going to college and postgrad school, working hard and sacrificing to earn a legitimate "doctorate."
8. For paying off my student loan debt.
9. For raising three children while under undue financial duress every day of my career.
10. For being part of a profession that contributes to the total health care burden across the USA to a tune of less than 1 percent of the total costs.
11. For being part of a profession that has employment opportunities in absolutely zero public, state or federal programs.
12. For being a responsible citizen; for contributing to society in a good way.
13. For thinking that I should be paid fairly for services that I have provided, despite government and insurance anti-chiropractic tactics to dissuade people from seeking my services.
14. For considering that I should be treated better than a 5th-class citizen.
15. For helping people lost in the health care system when other methods have failed them.
16. For looking out for my own personal and family health care, rarely needing traditional medical care.
17. For being disliked and disrespected/prejudged as to my character, without knowing anything about me, on the basis of merely being a chiropractor.

I could go on, but I will stop here. Please accept my apology for trying to be something that our government and society hates.

Michael Lynn, DC
Exeter, Calif.

You Could Be Doing More Harm Than Good

Dear Editor:

As I perused the current electronic issue of Dynamic Chiropractic, I noticed an article called "Feeding the Mouth That Bites You." [Publisher's Report of Findings, Sept. 23, 2012 issue] In the article, there is a hyperlink to the Web site of the chiropractic offender [a yoga instructor] that is the subject of the article. You are further helping this person by doing so, as every chiropractor (and everyone else) who reads this article is clicking that link. Do you know what that is doing to her Google rating to have such an awesome backlink? You are rewarding this turd even more now. Please stop helping this quiche-for-brains and remove the hyperlink ASAP. Do not reward people who are attacking the profession.

Instead, maybe you would like to backlink my Web site, along with a "thank you" for bringing this to your attention. As a new practitioner, I need all the help I can get. Surely I have already contributed more to chiropractic than the yoga instructor ever will. (Further, I'm nearing 250K in student loan debt, seeing 2-4 patients a week, and am hostage to compliance rules and regulations that if followed, makes it impossible to see more than five people a day because of the extreme detail required by state and federal regulations.)

It's sad that the yoga instructor is continuing to benefit from chiropractic even though she clearly has no use for it. Ironic how the link was likely put there in an attempt to discredit the fool; instead, it is giving her a boost she would have never been able to get elsewhere without paying the big bucks. I wish I could be so lucky.

Eric Hansen, DC, PA
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

What This Profession Needs Is More of Dr. Stephen Perle

Dear Editor:

We need more of Stephen Perle in our profession. Reading the Sept. 23, 2012 article by Dr. Stephen Perle ["The Patient, Stupid"] truly hit home with me on what's wrong with our profession. It seems today, our profession spends more time creating ways to increase volume, sell treatment plans, and create wealth in every way possible than treating patients.

Don't get me wrong, the business side of chiropractic is very important, but whatever happened to the philosophy of "find it, fix it and leave it alone"? Does it really take 65 treatments, free first visits, free chicken dinners and lifetime care to regard yourself as a great doctor of chiropractic, or does it take good diagnostic skills, compassion,and common sense! Doctor, you decide!

John Klinginsmith, BS, RT, DC
Kearney, Neb.

Fever Facts: New Information and Support for My Beliefs

Dear Editor:

The article about fevers ["The Facts About Fevers," by Dr. Claudia Anrig; Feb. 12, 2012 issue] supported my beliefs and is assurance for what I have been telling friends, family and patients for 20 years. However, Dr. Anrig mentions in the article about keeping the hydration up in the child and negates the use of Gatorade, et al., as replacers of the salts. My question is, what is there left to offer the child besides broth? Flat ginger ale was often offered when I was young. I have pushed Gatorade or Propel to my kids and suggested the same to others to keep fluid levels up. I would be interested to know if anything else is being offered to the sick one, and if it then is just a factor of time until the kid gets over the fever situation and the appetite obviously returns on its own.

In addition, this was the first article I've read mentioning a possible fever of up to 108 degrees Fahrenheit. I usually get concerned at 104 degrees, but will be watchful and concerned at 105 degrees instead. The medical profession and Big Pharmaco would like you to be concerned and pushing things at the first elevation, which only prolongs the process and then requires more pharmacy material to try and corral the invading toxin.

Scott Weinel, DC
Apollo, Pa.

DC encourages letters to the editor to discuss issues relevant to the profession and/or to respond to a previously published article. Submission is acknowledgement that your letter may be published. Submit your letter to editorial@mpamedia.com; include your full name, degree(s), as well as the city and state in which you practice.