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This is an interesting insight into this issue affecting the chiropractic profession from the latest Dynamic Chiropractic:
Subluxation Issues: The "Curse of Chiropractic" According to R.W. Stephenson
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In the chiropractic principles classes taught at New York College of Chiropractic in the 1980s, we used Dr. Frank D'Giacomo's book, Chiropractic: Man's Greatest Gift to Man. We may have heard about Stephenson's 1927 text, Chiropractic Textbook, but it is not a text most of us would remember, since we didn't use it.
I did not become aware of Stephenson's text until after graduation. At some point, I purchased Chiropractic Textbook at Sherman College in Spartanburg, S.C. My main reason for buying the book was that I wanted to understand what all the fuss was about regarding the ridiculous straight-mixer battle that seemed to rage on to various degrees within the profession. I read that Stephenson's text was a key straight book, so I bought it and looked for some answers. ....
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Most readers have never heard of the curse of chiropractic, and neither did I until I happened upon it on page 275 of Stephenson's text a few years ago. It is a particularly poignant term, and essentially nullifies nearly all the ridiculous notions put forth by the dogmatic sector of the chiropractic profession.....
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Surprisingly, there is a strong contingency of chiropractors who dogmatically advance and assert the curse of chiropractic. The boldest example of this can be found in Practice Guidelines for Straight Chiropractic, published by the World Chiropractic Alliance. Some of the more well-known guidelines developers who participated in advancing the curse of chiropractic include Drs. Terry Rondberg, Christopher Kent, Ralph Davis, David Koch, Peter Kevorkian, Ralph Boone, Thomas Gelardi and Joseph Strauss. Despite what Stephenson said about the impossibility of blocking mental impulse by a material something like subluxation, this group advanced the following definition of subluxation, which represents the curse of chiropractic: 3
A misalignment of one or more articulations of the spinal column or its immediate weight-bearing articulations, to a degree less than a luxation, which by inference causes, alteration of nerve function and interference to the transmission of mental impulses, resulting in a lessening of the body's innate ability to express its maximum health potential."
Not a single reference was cited to support this contention, and not even the slightest of literature reviews was performed. For those of you who have struggled nationally or in your respective states with chiropractors who advance the "curse," you now have powerful ammunition to stop those who advance the notion of chiropractic philosophy, but really advance the curse of chiropractic. These individuals and groups need to be taken to task. And we should remember that it was B.J. Palmer himself who gave Stephenson's text the seal of approval (p.vii-viii). Clearly, many of the so-called subluxation-based chiropractors of today are unknowingly in opposition to the views of the Palmers and Stephensons, not to mention the research in recent years. This anti-chiropractic activity must be stopped for the benefit and future of our profession.
As a Chiropractic researcher, I am glad that you have brought these idiots to everyone’s attention. You are absolutely right...there is no currently published material that supports chiro. Oh, they will point to numerous articles that "support" them, but they have no reference, save BJ and DD palmer, whose work has more holes than Swiss cheese. Are you aware that when the AMA was formed, none of the medical professions were very well supported? Out of medicine, dentistry, anything....they were the only ones who refused to join. They would have been forced to do research and their claims...that kept them out of jail, by the way, would have been proven wrong. I have not submitted my work for review yet, but I will be an outcast in the profession by about 1/3 and a hero to the rest. I can show that chiro has some very positive uses and is a valuable profession, but not because of what BJ taught. I will also poke holes in many of the "techniques" taught by chiro. The dirty secret is a student just graduating will be lucky to make 40 grand/yr, working for an older physician until he/she learns enough to take care of a patient - if he/she lucks up and doesn't hook up with a quack. Those guys making LOTS of money are the ones teaching the techniques. Just like BJ before them, a little snake oil sells when a fellow has to make a living for his family. The research to support and disprove parts of chiro is already out there, done by "pure" scientist if any of them bothered to look. They would rather do "research" using forms lie the psychologists. "Do you have a happy face or a sad face by the way you felt before adjustment. What kind of face do you have after adjustment - happy or sad?" And then publish their results as real science. It is shameful, but there are those of us who are working hard to give chiro some dignity.
One last thing to let you know what kind of folks you are dealing with..... There is a very good program that has about 20 modules. It is a neurological certificate, and when complete, the chiro is much better than the average MD in neurology...maybe not as good as a neurologist. Anyway, I personally was told by Rondenberg that "anyone (teacher) taking that course should be fired and run off the campus." They don't care about the truth, just more legal power - just read his magazine. You will find it with more of a slant that TV news.
Any chiro out there who wants to challenge me on this, bring it on. If you believe that crap, you will be pitifully easy to beat in debate, and you are out of your league with the people on this site. They will take you apart and laugh at where the pieces fall.
The latest Dynamic Chiropractic has a follow up to the above article: A Cure for the Curse of Chiropractic
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This two-part article briefly outlines three approaches to help cure the curse of chiropractic. First, we need to develop a proper view of philosophy. Second, we need to have an accurate understanding of chiropractic history. Third, we need to understand the scientific advancements that have taken place in the past several years and particularly since 1927, when R.W. Stephenson described the curse.
Subluxation: The curse of Chiropractic
Chiropractic
Hybrid Mode
