There are so many variations of wellness programs — most of them ineffective and with little ROI. The trend is to pad these programs with access to alternative medical providers who exist outside of expensive health provider networks.
Hm. I am bad at math but I am a big fan of science. In that vein, here are three things your wellness program should avoid.
Homeopathy
Wikipedia describes homeopathy as a form of alternative medicine in which practitioners attempt to treat patients using highly diluted preparations that have no active pharmaceutical ingredient in the liquid. Basically, homeopathic practitioners believe that your illness is created by a disturbance to your ‘vital force‘ — a derivative of Qi — and their magic water will fix you. Water. That’s it. Homeopathy is no more effective than a placebo. Unfortunately, some wellness programs will cover remedies and dilutions. There is no ROI, and thus, HR people should skip this garbage.
Naturopathy
Naturopathy practitioners also believe in a vital force. These ‘doctors’ are into self-healing practices and herbal treatments. In many cases, patients are desperate and the naturopathy practitioners are creating an ongoing revenue source for themselves because patients are never quite cured. And you don’t need to have a medical degree or be board certified to practice naturopathy, either. In fact, some practitioners will refer to themselves as doctors because they are certified as doctors by their own sanctioned schools. (Nice. I’m a Doctor of Blogging. BlD.)
If you think a colonic and ozone therapy can cure you, that’s perfect. Naturopathy is for you. Most scientists and researchers agree that naturopathy is sketchy at best and often relies upon the placebo effect to produce results. HR should never suggest covering naturopathy unless they want to be laughed out of the executive suite.
Chiropractic
Chiropractors are not doctors. Full stop. I know this surprises many people but the field of chiropractic is based on alternative medicine beliefs and vitalism. Chiropractors have a strong trade association — think SHRM for quackjobs — who lobby hard for health insurance inclusion and coverage. Chiropractors are very political and litigious (like Scientologists) and their trade association exists to make chiropractic seem like a responsible form of medicine. It is not.
Did you know that chiropractors are educated in schools and programs that are not accountable to anyone? These ‘doctors’ offer nothing that a physical therapist or massage therapist can’t provide; however, chiropractors cause spinal injuries, strokes and paralysis through adjustments and alignments. Chiropractors have killed people. Do some people feel better after seeing a Chiropractor? Sure. The New York Times had a headline, yesterday, that read For Neck Pain, Chiropractic and Exercise Are Better Than Drugs. That’s awesome… sorta… but there’s a line in the article that says home exercises were about as effective as the chiropractic sessions. Hm.
Back and pain is so insidious that most people would feel better after being hit by a truck. And the treatments that do work for people with pain — a combination of weight loss, exercise, stretching, and some anti-inflammatory medications — require difficult lifestyle changes and difficult choices.
In summary, Chiropractic is dangerous and not based on science. It has no business being included as a part of responsible health insurance packages or wellness programs.
So what works in wellness?
- Wellness programs that stick to science and positive behavior modification are the most successful. Penalizing employees doesn’t work. It’s about a comprehensive lifestyle change — as cliche as that sounds.
- You can’t work hard and play hard with a broken body, which is why a company like Hearst provides access to a great cafeteria and a free fitness center within their corporate headquarters.
- Access to therapists (and a strong EAP program) is important. Addictive behavior isn’t just limited to cigarettes and alcohol. Many people struggle with a dependency on prescription drugs, food, and sex. Good mental health is the first step towards addressing chronic and expensive health issues.
I want HR folks to keep health insurance costs down but I want to implement wellness programs that work. Homeopathy, naturopathy, and chiropractic have no business in your wellness plan.
That’s a fact.
Amen. Every time I talk to a homeopathist/naturopathist/other loony I want to punch them. Delude themselves but not others. How do they get away with it? The UK’s National Health Service spends millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money on this garbage. It ought to be a criminal offence.
I think people have an unrealistic expectation of life. It’s full of pain and suffering. Bodies grow old and fail. The best way to take care of ourselves is through personal accountability and respect to our bodies. That doesn’t require alternative medicine. It requires better options and choices. In America, we have a toxic food supply. Corn syrup. Sugar. Refined grains. We crap up our bodies and look to ‘eastern’ medicine for the answer. The answer is local, dammit. Keep that shit out of your body in the first place.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
A friend’s husband was killed by a chiropractor 2 years ago. Severed an artery in his neck during an “adjustment”. Dead. In his 30s.
Quackery.
Scary indeed.
It is scary. But at the same time, modern Western medicine kills people all the time, too. For routine stuff. I’m not sure why that’s not scarier.
Boy, I know people who swear by this stuff–a friend’s daughter is into concocting flower “essences” purported to “cure” a variety of ailments and conditions (yikes)–but it all smacks of voodoo and witch doctors or something to me. I’m all for avoiding automatic dependence on pharmaceutical intervention for everything that comes down the pike, but…come on. OTOH, I guess if you’ve done every conventional kind of treatment known for something and still aren’t getting relief, you’d be ready for the witch doctors. Happily, I haven’t reached that state with anything yet.
I think desperate people do desperate things. That’s why psychics still have a business.
I don’t judge people with pain because I actually have recurring back pain that is pretty significant and puts me out. Flat. On my back. I also know — in my heart of hearts — that this is a lifelong condition that will never be 100% optimal. It’s part of the aging process at this point.
I get the (appropriate) skepticism of homeopathy & naturopathy. However, I’m jumping the HR ship and going to medical school this fall, and given that I have a couple of chiropractors in my family, I thought I’d counter some of the points you made on Chiropractic medicine.
1) Nearly every form of treatment, be it pharmaceutical, spinal manipulation, surgery, or simply exercise, has risks associated with it. If you’re overweight and have a heart condition, going out for a jog can kill you. You could take a Wellbutrin and end up exhibiting parkinson-like symptoms for years. Or, you could go to a chiropractor with an undiagnosed aneurysm and the manipulation could rupture it. All highly unlikely, all highly unfortunate. A 2-year old article from skeptic.com does not seem like the best place to get information (given that their recent articles include “Extraterrestrial Aliens:
Friends, Foes, or Just Curious?” and “Aspartame: Safe Sweetener or Perilous Poison?”)
2) They are doctors – they receive a doctorate degree, and in many states, are allowed to call themselves a doctor of chiropractic medicine. Even the Joint Commission (if you work in a hospital, you’re likely familiar with this fun bunch) includes them in their list of Physicians:
? Doctor of medicine or osteopathy
? Doctor of dental surgery or dental medicine
? Doctor of podiatric medicine
? Doctor of optometry
? Chiropractor
3) Their schools are accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education, and although I don’t know the specifics everywhere, they have rigorous licensing requirements in my state, just like any other medical profession.
Sorry for the rant, but I wanted to put another perspective out there. I love your writing Laurie, but you started to sound like the Jenny McCarthy of Chiropractic in this post!
Much like people’s hesitations about physicians with a D.O. degree (which is an equivalent to the M.D. degree), I recognize that much of this argument is regional, and some areas of the country are more accepting/understanding of the specialty than others. Moreover, since there are quacks in every form of medicine (Dr. Conrad Murray, anyone?), you may have had some experiences that turned you off to the field entirely, and I totally get that. However, your bashing of the entire profession should be taken with a grain of salt.
If you want more recent articles that explain how chiropractic is not real medicine, see the blog Science-Based Medicine.
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/reference/?p=44
There are tons of those links. Thank you!
Just because the title of the blog includes “science” does not mean it’s a reliable source.
The article below, on the AMA’s online ethics journal, outlines the history of the chiropractic profession, as well as the anti-chiro PR campaign that the AMA conducted through most of the last century – specifically that chiropractors are “unscientific practitioners”. This is a basis of pretty significant litigation that went on in the 1980s, and found that the “AMA had engaged in a “lengthy, systematic, successful and unlawful boycott” designed to restrict cooperation between MDs and chiropractors in order to eliminate the profession of chiropractic.”
Yes, it was written by a chiropractor, but keep in mind where this article is now published.
http://virtualmentor.ama-assn.org/2011/06/mhst1-1106.html
I would say that just because something has been litigated doesn’t mean it is valid. The Scientologists are examples in that space.
The problem with the Chiropractic industry is that the practitioners usualy makes themselves out to be a science based medicine. When they represented themselves as doctors they play on the trust the lay population places in medical practitioners, yet the entire field is based on unsubstantiated claims.
Yet there is NO clinical research or scientific evidence that chiropractic vertebral subluxation can cause of disease or health concerns. Yet there is evidence that, the chiropractic art can cause injury and death. So comparing it to the risks/side-effects/dangers of established medical protocols that do have clinical data to support the efficaciousness, is at best naïve and at worse, disingenuous.
Regarding the Joint Commission: Like most institutions they can be influenced by money/lobbyist (something the Chiropractic industry has plenty of). And yes, plenty of Hospitals do allow for alternative medicine, even if there is no clinical evidence that is it effective. They were also part of the pressure that was put on Joint Commission to help elevate the industry status, to better influence the likelihood of insurance carries paying for treatment. But sadly this is about $$ and not medicine.
Thanks for that comment. I would concede that there is $$ in traditional medicine. For every drug or treatment protocol that works, there are pushers and abusers.
And yes, Conrad Murray killed Michael Jackson.
But chiropractic (& related nonsense) is so insidious because it flies in the face of conventional treatments and is based on vitalism. Is this 1812 or 2012? Scary stuff.
I agree. I think chiropractic “medicine” is dangerous.
Good luck to you. Jenny McCarthy would endorse everything I listed above and actually oppose the science. She is looking for a “solution” to something that cannot be “solved”. That’s what drives a passion for alternative medicine/treatments.
I sound like someone who is passionate and has done some personal investigating because of my own medical condition. I have back pain and TMJ.
1. Life kills you. Yes.
2. The interet is full of examples of sketchy chiropractic claims. I pulled the top one from the google page. You can also look in storied medical journals to find great examples of the dangers of chiropractic. You’ll probably do that in medical school.
3. Osteopaths are also fools. That’s another blog post. And just because you go to a ‘medical school’ and some state recognizes you as a doctor doesn’t mean that you are a doctor. That’s why the lobbying from the trade association is so relevant.
I’m back to where I started. Laurie Ruettimann, BlD. Doctor of Blogging.
WOW! Well…let me clarify my statement about going to medical school, as I will be attending a D.O. school this fall. Let’s be clear about a couple of things… the training involved in becoming a D.O. vs an M.D. is virtually identical, save a couple of osteopathic manipulation courses that the MD’s do not take. Foundational philosophies on how to approach medicine are slightly different, but the SCIENCE is the same. Identical. We can take the same licensing exams, apply for the same residencies, and work the same specialties.
All states recognize D.O.’s as doctors/physicians because they are. The big difference is that DO’s focus on “taking care of ourselves is through personal accountability and respect to our bodies” (to use your lines), rather than simply diagnose, treat, repeat. Wow… I’ve been a long time reader, but with that last statement you might have lost me.
Keep in mind that the AMA is a trade association as well. I have nothing against MD’s, but decided to go the DO route because, in my experience (HR in a hospital), most DO’s have a more “comfortable” presence with their patients (gained from the specialized OMT training they receive). And my PCP is a DO, and I’ve found him to be an intelligent, well-rounded practitioner that focuses on prevention more than anything else.
Oh yes, the AMA can suck it. Most trade associations exist to benefit themselves and not their members.
Good luck to you. Prove me wrong!
Well, Joe, she lost me too. I will no longer be reading this website. Unfortunately, I do not have the time to explain why, except to say I have not been able to find info. showing where she has been educated enough to post this information. She is entitled to her opinion, but comes across extremely close minded and ignorant. By the way, I am not a chiropractor, naturopathic professional – I am not in the “medical” field at all.
Thanks.
Don’t regular doctors kill people too? I know you went a little hard on chiropractors, but I’ve seen one since I was 5 and I’ve never had any problems. I know, I know “AJ you MUST be delusional and are clearly in the minority on this subject,” but I haven’t seen nearly as many chiropractors sued as I have M.D.s “Safety of chiropractic interventions: a systematic review,” also had some stats on death rates that shed some light. Just saying that it’s a different treatment method that works for some people better than being told to “take two of these and let me know…” because you can feel instant relief. Granted I only go for back pain and some neck pain if I sleep in an awkward position yet I wouldn’t go if I had the flu or meningitis.
However, I think it is an effective and affordable complement to an MD. Doctors can’t fix everything, nor can chiropractors, but I’ve found they go well hand-in-hand. I never would have visited one if my mom’s employer hadn’t offered it as part of their wellness package.
I don’t think you are delusional. I think you are mistaken. That’s okay.
I think it is an effective and affordable complement to an MD.
So is massage therapy and physical therapy. So is eating right and exercising. Those things won’t kill you.
Not sure about the last statement…ask Jim Fixx.
Agree with the rest.
Oh come on. So he died from exercise. Whatevs.
Thank you for this. I’d add acupuncture to the list as well.
Do you know what they call “alternative medicine” that’s been proven to work? Medicine.
Love that.
If something other than a drug helps people, why not use it?
You know what helps me? A margarita. “Help” is subjective.
Data shows that homeopathy and naturopathy are as effective as placebos — so you’re fleecing people in order to get the same result as giving them a sugar pill.
And chiropractic is just as effective as home exercise. While I might fall off a treadmill at home, the risks are better.
Alcohol? Really? Come on…..
Si.
Are we talking strictly wellness plans or health plans in general. For a “wellness” plan to really work, it should connect to a health plan. But I digress….
I am going to have to disagree on the Naturopath and Homeopathy. They have their place. Conventional medicine practitioners can tend to have tunnel vision that is lined with pharmaceuticals. How many of us have had friends that have suffered through gastric issues/migraines, trying to remedy them with drugs when it turns out they if they cut out wheat, gluten or dairy from their diet – issues are gone? Those are the things that Naturopaths look at first – what you put in your body. Until a majority of conventional doctors think outside the pharmaceutical box as well as in it – they absolutely should be in your plan.
Homeopathy is water. That’s it.
And cutting out food from your diet is not naturopathy. It’s science, actually. I’m allergic to apples and strawberries. There’s a scientific reaction that happens when I eat ‘em. I don’t eat them? I don’t get that reaction. There’s no need for homeopathy and naturopathy there.
I’m not advocating pharmaceutical solutions but I am not ruling them out, either. I’m advocating for science. Evidence-based treatments. I have cat allergies. The best treatment? No cats. The second-best treatment? Zyrtec. Zytrec isn’t perfect. No cats = perfect. But I love my cats so they stay!
It’s all about choices.
PS – I see an allergist who keeps telling me to get rid of my cats. I’m actually the problem — not him.
The problem with homeopathy is that it claims a scientific basis when there is no recognised science involved – quite the reverse in fact. They take distilled water, add something to it, then dilute it repeatedly to sub-molecular concentrations, so the statistical probability of even one molecule of the additive remaining is very low. The practitioners, if you ask them how distilled water can have a medical effect, will tell you how the additive leave an ‘imprint’ on the water molecules. This imprint is some unspecified way makes you better. What they can’t explain is how the water – which has been water since it crashed into the earth in an asteroid five billion years ago – hasn’t picked up so many imprints from all the other chemicals it has been exposed to in that time that it could cure anything. Rubbish, and dangerous rubbish at that.
Most people don’t understand the distillation and the imprinting theories. They think the remedies and dilutions contain active pharmaceutical ingredients instead of ‘memories’ and ‘imprints’ of the ingredients. Even I had to read the definition of homeopathy about 10 times to fully capture the nonsense.
But those essences are sold at Whole Foods (upscale grocer) so it must be effective!
I like your post, very nice.
I would echo the comments left by others regarding the fact that any treatment (medicine, surgery, etc) can have deadly results whether by accident or carelessness. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a science to it. There is a twist in my spine, and adjustments literally correct that. It immediately relieves pain through correction, not pain pills (or margaritas) that just mask the issue. A good chiropractor also shows you exercises, stretches, diet plans, etc to become more healthy. I spend more time at my doctor doing physical therapy than having the adjustment. Guess who won’t spend that kind of time with me? A doctor. I’m lucky to get 5 min face time with my doc.
I also have a jaw disorder that causes me pain every single day. My jaw regularly locks up or moves out of place. I dealt with severe pain for years until my doctor suggested I try acupuncture. I resisted for months, but with serious skepticism I tried it. When I left I thought “Well, that was a waste of an hour and $30″ but about a half hour later I realized I could open my mouth twice as much as I’d been able to for years. For the first time in years I could bite into a hamburger instead of having to cut it up. I didn’t WANT to believe in acupuncture, but it worked despite my skepticism. I know that’s not science….but you can’t convince me otherwise based on my experience.
Now that being said….I agree with you that to keep costs low for everyone we shouldn’t cover everything under the sun on medical plans. I don’t mind paying $30 out of pocket for a service that I know helps me.
I know pain is insidious. I have TMJ and I can’t open my mouth more than an inch. Truly. Xrays are intolerable. So I do massage and electro-stimulation and anti-inflammatory medication and then I can get an exam 2x/year. It’s awful.
I don’t mind that you pay out of pocket, either. What I mind is that chiro & homeopathy & naturopathy are lumped in with proven solutions. There are so many logical fallacies that lead us to a place where we say, “My back is messed up and chiro helps me; therefore, chiro is legitimate.” Hitting you with a baseball bat might make you feel good, too. What makes a treatment legitimate is a proven track record of success grounded in data.
So I dunno. This is America and you can do what you want (until Rick Santorum becomes president). You want to go to chiro and get acupuncture? Cool. I just think it’s unfair to ask a company-funded wellness plan that uses revenues that could be allocated to lower medical premiums to pay for it. (Forgive the run-on sentence.)
Rick Santorum = LOL!
Re TMJ: I’m pretty sure that if my dentist wasn’t a personal friend of my dad, he would have refused to continue seeing me. I cancel my appointments constantly because I know how miserable I will be during/after the visit. My college roommate had horrible TMJ too. Her dad was a doctor and would have to insert a syringe full of saline into her jaw (through her cheek) and push the fluid really fast to break up the build up in the joint. They had to hold her down to do it. My doc wanted to break my jaw, re-set it, and wire it shut for 6 weeks. Um…let me think about that…. no thank you!
I have severe TMJ too. and here’s what happened to me last year. I had my jaw lock open. LOCK.OPEN. it sucked major balls. and no, that’s not what I was doing when it happened. So I went to a emergent care place, and after 4 hours, you know what they did for me? nothing. and I was in the most pain I can ever remember experiencing. and I was drooling everywhere because I couldn’t swallow. so then I went to a Chiropractor across the street. and he fixed my jaw in less than 10 minutes by sticking his thum in my mouth somewhere. I paid $35 total . And I’d do it again. every time. hopefully there will be no other time. But you know, I wouldn’t ask my boss to pay for it. Even though she paid for the hundreds of dollars of “care” from the emergent care place because I have employer paid insurance.
I’m glad you are better. I had lockjaw (closed) once as a result of an allergic reaction to compazine. COMPAZINE. That’s right. It was awesome. ER. Benadryl shots. Good times.
I have inter-oral massages for my TMJ. I think my massage therapist does what your chiro did… and it’s not cheap but worth it.
Maybe I’m either a skeptic or just naive, but I always thought of Chiropractors as drug dealers of sorts. My understanding is:
1. They inflict pain on you and you get an endorphin release that makes you feel good.
2. It wears away and you need to go back or you feel worse.
I’ve never heard of anyone who goes to a chiropractor once. Something doesn’t sit right with me about that.
Exactly.
I had hurt my back a few years ago. My regular MD was useless. So I went to see a chiropractor. I saw him three times over a week and half and my problem was cured. No more pain and I could stand up straight. I did not take the drugs my MD gave me (prescription muscle relaxers) and I have not had (knock on wood) any back problems since. This chiripractor did not push me to come back.
Have to say…although pieces of this post & subsequent replies were making my blood boil, I think the good thing is that people are actually talking about healthcare, doing their own research, and trying to do the “right thing” when it comes to their health. If any kind of health reform is going to move forward, there needs to be personal accountability regarding your own health, as well as a basic understanding of the costs, effectiveness, and risks of treatment options. This discussion is proof that we’re moving in that direction.
Laurie, I still like you even though you think I’m going to school to be a quack
I can’t wait for you to prove me wrong, Joe. Let’s stay in touch! Thanks for reading my blog. PS – I like neti pots. Can we agree on that?
Eww. no. Didn’t you hear of those people in Louisiana that died of a brain-eating amoeba delivered via neti pot? Hopefully you’re using distilled, imprinted healing water from Whole Foods in that thing!
Anyways, the feeling of water up my nose is the WORST.
I would probably be inclined to agree with you, if it weren’t for my father’s stubborn insistence on sticking with a pharmacological medical model that has left him needing dialysis due to the toxic reaction of multiple doctor-prescribed drugs for blood pressure, and my father-in-law’s stubborn insistence on sticking with alternative therapies, which left him preparing to travel to India (after returning from vacations to Cuba, Mexico and England) six years after he was told, at the age of 75, that his stage 4 lymphoma needed to be aggressively treated with chemo, and he’d still probably be dead in six months.
Wellllllllllllll. I hate being negative (truly) when it comes to health because that story about your father-in-law is awesome. Good for him. I wish he were the rule with alternative medicine and not the exception (which he is).
Health is weird. We know less than we think we know. We do have good models, though. We can use science and data that show us what works and what doesn’t. But we all get sick and die. That’s how it works.
Continued good health to your father-in-law and my best to your father.
If chiropractors advertised themselves as message therapists (with added risk), I would have less of a problem with them. But they hide behind pseudoscience, call themselves doctors and essentially mislead their patients about the science and effectiveness of their ‘treatments” If you want to do something with a bit a risk because it feels good, I certainly can’t cast any stones, but calling it science and connecting to corporate dollars is a shame/sham.
Thank you Laurie for writing this and reminding me how many idiots live in our world. Plus now I can dismiss any thought you have and chalk it up to the ignorance of the world you live in. Never felt the need to comment on blogs, but this one will hold a special place for me. Your lack of knowledge is exceptional. Well done!
Incoming…!
OK I’l bite the troll bait. You conflate her to the idiots of the world and would dismiss anything she has to say because what? She want corporate dollars to be spent on things that have actually been scientifically proven instead of things that are know to have dangers and no proven benefit? But you say, she is living in ignorance?
Sooooo unnecessary. And this is why I will always have something to write about on Critical-Thinkers. (sigh)
Oh god. Please. My cats are more eloquent than that.
Do you take your cats to a Veterinarian?
Of course. Are you going to tell me a vet can’t help my cats because they can’t talk and express themselves? You probably don’t want to go there with me. Fair warning. But try if you must. Sigh.
For someone who didn’t have any time to explain why you were so mad at Laurie and were going to stop reading her blog because of it, you sure have been commenting all over this post a lot.
I also have a very negative view of chiropractors because I personally know two people who had serious strokes as a result of an adjustment that caused injury to the arteries in their neck. What was interesting is that the chiros in question didn’t face the same kind of malpractice liability as a “real” doctor because the courts do not consider them a doctor in the same way they do an actual MD. If you don’t face the same kind a liability for practicing your craft, you should not call yourself a doctor and perform life altering or potentially fatal procedures on a patient.
I had serious back pain after having each of my kids, and with the last one I had a huge issue because my body over-produced the hormones and I was having a problem with my pelvis twisting out of alignment (seriously nauseating pain). Since I was nursing, I could not take any serious pain meds to deal with it. Instead, I concentrated on having good body alignment, walked to keep my weight healthy and did light yoga to stretch out my muscles, improve the flexibility of my back and strengthen my core. Voila, no more back pain.
PS I like neti pots too – but I use distilled water to avoid brain-eating amoebas!
Wow, I’ve heard about women with that kind of pelvic pain. I’m sorry to read that. Yikes. PS — I use distilled water but my allergist actually said that tap water is fine and that the amoebas are overstated. WTF? No. Not overstated. Not at all IMHO.
First off, I want to say that I do not agree with this post and was very disturbed by the following sentence in your article: “It has no business being included as a part of responsible health insurance packages or wellness programs.” WOW – what an opinion you have but perhaps you should have better statistics to back up that claim rather than bash their type of schooling and “typical” procedures of alignment and the like. No one said they are trying to change the world…like, errr, some REAL doctors claim.
You said it best, “Many people struggle with a dependency on prescription drugs…” and that is the reason why people see chiropractors – to get away from all the prescription drugs those REAL doctors give for reasons which may not need it anyways. My experience with chiropractors has been nothing short than steller so before you go stereotyping chiropractors as a whole, perhaps you should just state that they don’t work for you. Chiropractors have some of the most innovative alternative health devices out there that actually do very well for patients with disc problems (myself), osteoporosis (myself) at the expense of my health insurance – thank God!! Have you ever heard of cold laser therapy? It has changed my life and has provided me with so much more movement in my back than I thought I could since first being diagnosed with osteoporosis last year (I am 26). Chiropractors were one the first ones to offer this and I am so thankful for them for that – now that is something your general MD will not want to give you because of course he just wants to dope you up on unnecessary drugs to give himself and the pharmaceutical companies more money.
My problem with your article is that you are stereotyping chiropractors and stating that their services do not warrant coverage in a health wellness plan and my response to you is to do some research and would appreciate better statistics next time you state such a thing. I subscribed to this blog because of the reviews I got but after seeing this it just makes me double-think that. Not everyone is born healthy and remains healthy just by eating and exercising. For you that may work – congrats but there are people out there that want holistic and health alternative treatments, which is exactly what chiropractors are offer and why they SHOULD be covered in a wellness plan.
Oh and by the way, REAL doctors have killed MILLIONS of people everyday due to their negligent prescriptions and ALIGNMENTS!
I’m glad cold laser therapy is providing you with relief. I wish you nothing but continued good health & fortune.
Completely agree with you, Michelle. Thank you for making some sense out of all of this.
I believe we are all entitled to our opinions, but as much as I dislike the medical communities resolutions to so many ailments, I wouldn’t randomly bash the entire profession!
So many people get relief from chiropractic care and to dismiss it completely because you are misinformed is just plain ignorant.
I agree simply because I don’t believe questionable methods should be in a wellness plan. If you want to do it on your own dollar, go for it, everyone has their own ability to seek out their healthcare solutions.
Yes — I just wish there were mo’ bettah options for some people.
Laurie you’re a dumbass and you shouldn’t talk about things you clearly know nothing about.
Thanks for taking the time to comment on my dubass blog.
It always amazes me when people go through such effort to leave ridiculous comments on blogs that they don’t agree with. Disagree, fine, but try to do it while retaining whatever little amount of dignity you have.
Or, just STFU. That works, too.
STFU is really immature and trashy. It makes you look silly.
Laurie – I think that people need to take more responsibility for their own health care – in GENERAL (not all people, many do already). If they do, then they can make more educated decisions and not be “fooled” by chiropractic care, homeopathy, medical doctors (who, in general, way over prescribe drugs!) etc. I happen to have had a great experience with a chiropractor, but I only went after doing a lot of research, talking to others who been to this particular chiro. etc.
I have found that medical doctors over prescribe drugs because people want the easy fix…which is usually drugs…which don’t really fix anything. That being said, my regular MD just suggested I apply tea bags to my eye for swelling caused by an allergic reaction before I dove for the steroids. It worked; no drugs necessary.
Still won’t risk a stroke from having my neck adjusted by a chiropractor though
Laurie – banner week for really involved and passionate discussions. Go you!
LOL, Annie, I normally filter many of these out but it’s 2012 and I’m tired. Easier to leave them in. Funnier, too.
100% appreciate your comment!
I like chiropractors. But I understand why some people don’t. I’ve had great experiences with chiropractors and my dad ended up not having to have surgery for horrible carpal tunnel in his wrists as a result of chiropractic medicine and acupuncture.
I think it’s important to keep in mind that “regular” doctors can be just as quacky as some of the chiropractors you may encounter. I’ve seen doctors and had a really difficult time figuring out how the hell they passed the tests they needed to in order to get their stethoscope.
Also, human beings make mistakes, whatever medical profession they are a part of. I’m not excusing it. I’m sure dentists kill on occasion (statistic anyone?) but I still like having the option of getting my teeth cleaned every once in awhile.
I said it once before — life kills. I’ll take my chances with a dentist versus a chiropractor.
Quacks are everywhere indeed!
I both agree and disagree with your statements. My current health plan does cover chiropractic and homeopathic treatments but does not cover massage. But it also does not cover eyeglasses or contacts. Insurance companies tend to cover things that cost them the least amount of money.
Regarding chiropractors specifically – I am a migraine sufferer. My Doctor’s solution was to prescribe pills that (at the time) cost $25 each. They didn’t prevent a migraine, only took some of the symptoms away. However I have found that by going for a monthly chiropractic adjustment ($39) I have fewer migraines. When I have fewer migraines I miss less work. So what is the lesser cost to my employer/insurance company: $25 pills plus missed work, or $39 a month?
I’m glad it has helped you. I don’t wish you anything but continued good health. When I was younger, I had some fluorescent-light induced migraines. Now that I’m older, that doesn’t happen. I don’t know why.
No one should take advice from a bleach blonde, cat lady who is on zoloft.
No offense, but think about it.
The science based medical system is awesome….for lawyers. How many drugs have been proven safe and prescribed by your trusted medical gods and later caused horrible problems in innocent trusting people. Seriously, look at the lawsuits.
Accutane (causes Chron’s)
Actos (bladder, heart, kidney damage)
Yasmin and Yaz (fatal blood clots)
Avastin
Topamax (birth defects, great so your dumbass mistakes hurt your kids)
Darvon and Darvocet (fatal abnormal heart rhythms)
Digitek (heart attack, stroke, kidney failure)
Vioxx (heart attack and stroke)
Trasylol (kidney disease, heart attack, stroke, death)
Zelnorm (heart attack and stroke)
You want a study that advocates manipulation? There are plenty. Here’s one from the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons on chronic whiplash…Bogduk actually advocates manipuation…along w/ radio frequency neurotomies, however he says that not a lot works in these people and he does plug chiropractic in this PRESTIGEOUS MEDICAL JOURNAL. A simple pubmed search will find the requested scientific proof you look for, but I presume that you (Laurie) may have a difficult time with the big words.
I have to go get adjusted by my chiropractor now suckers
NO OFFENSE.
UNACCEPTABLE! You could have made your point without implying that Laurie is wrong because she a) has her hair highlighted (like most females), b) owns cats (like 33% of the US population) or c) Takes an anti-depressant (10% of Americans).
Disagree with her point- fine. But implying her logic is wrong because of her hair color, pet or prescription drug shows more about your character than hers. But…you know…no offense.
Just to clarify, I’m not on Zoloft. I might need to be on Zoloft after this blog post, though. And Zoloft is owned by Pfizer and my retirement is pegged to the success of that company so TAKE MORE ZOLOFT.
http://www.pfizer.com/products/rx/rx_product_zoloft.jsp
Not the generic kind, either.
I was just wondering that as you posted this. Those Z drugs…so hard to tell apart. This is how prescription errors happen!
Sorry angry posters are stressful – this is entertaining.
Wait, dude, I’m not on Zoloft. My cat is on Paxil.
Didn’t she say she takes Zyrtek? Totally different from Zoloft…
I tend to go drug-free as much as possible, but there’s room in my life for Benedryl now and then. My kids are also fully vaccinated!!!!!! The horror!
Dang…if I knew all it took to get 75 comments on a blog is to say something is stupid, I would have done that a long time ago.
My next blog post will be “Chicken Nuggets are Stupid…Bring It.”
Actually, this reminds me of how I first found your blog years ago….I believe it was titled “The MBTI is Junk.” Ahhh….good times.
Anyway, just wanted to say kudos for saying classy and always taking the high road when people get ugly on here. Rock on.
I love lamp.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CPwOOK4nEM
never gets old.
Guess my prior lengthy response was filtered…thanks for staying objective.
I love lamp too.
You went to spam. I wonder why.
That your hypothesis is gleaned from such sources as Wikipedia, Skeptic.com, and Quackwatch.com, is both cursory and irresponsible. What are your credentials again?
Consumer.
Look, I don’t know you, and so shall assume your intentions are good. But, for what it’s worth, I’d caution dispersing such generalized theories. The human body is complicated, and the mind equally so. People are fragile and so is this type of information. Use your pulpit wisely.
Okay, thanks. I’m usually very responsible with the way I communicate.
I think many people go to alternative providers because doctors won’t listen. I had terrible back problems, and all my doctor would do is write prescriptions for addictive narcotics and benzos. I went to a chiropractor as a desperate last resort. He didn’t heal me, but he actually worked with my PT, kept email contact with me after some gross spinal procedures I ending up needing after an MRI (which the doctor wouldn’t refer me for), and he referred me to an excellent orthopedic surgeon. I even tried switching primary care docs during this time since I knew I needed a real doctor involved, and that guy just gave me more junkie pills.
I think that if our primary care system wasn’t so eff’d up with doctors stuffing as many patients into a day as they can in order to pay off their medical school debts (not to mention boat payments & loyalties to Big Pharm), then maybe all these alternative approaches wouldn’t have such appeal & lobbying power. By state law, we don’t have any choice but to offer alternative treatments in our medical plan, and I think people project pseudo-scientific validation onto chiropractors because they feel heard and looked after.
Then again, if I hadn’t had chiropractic coverage, I’d probably be on Non-Celebrity Rehab by now.
Yes — you’re so right about the broken medical system. But we also live in a society where life is broken. My office chair at Alberto Culver was older than me + my desks throughout my career never quite fit me right + I worked 10 hour days + I had a 90 minute commute + I ate fast food daily + I never saw the sun or had much of an opportunity to breathe fresh air.
Lots of stuff is broken. It’s nice to idealize Eastern medicine and alternative practices. I wonder why so many people are screaming at me about chrio and not actively participating in ergo programs at work. Those work but I had to pull teeth to get people to sign up for that.
“I’m in a meeting. I’m busy. This is HR bullshit.”
O rlly? Fine. “I hope you enjoy that carpal tunnel, f-kwad. And I hope you get back pain. And I hope you need reading glasses before you’re 40. And you’re ugly.”
Yes, this is definitely the ticket for me. My health plan-covered MDs see me for 10-15 minutes, tell me I’m too fat, pooh-pooh any specific concerns I might have about my health, and give me a blurry photocopied diet from the 1970s. When I finally went to see an ND (who I paid for out of pocket), she ordered some of the tests that I felt I needed based on my research, and generally listened to me and advised me in a much more comprehensive manner than any mainstream doctor I’ve visited. Sure, I tuned out the parts I felt were sort of woo-woo crap–after all, I have a functioning brain that I can use to decide what I agree with and what I don’t–but that doesn’t mean her assistance was worthless.
Basically, I went to an alternative practitioner because I knew what I needed (I may not be a doctor, but I’m not stupid and neither is the internets–I would hold up as an example the Feline Diabetes Message Board, which is chock-full of people who know much more about FD than most vets) and wanted someone who was willing to partner with me to try and improve my health. She’s not perfect, but it beat the alternative (ha).
The other example I would put forward that seems to favor a bit more of a compromise approach is that of childbirth. Yes, our system produces births that are much safer than anything seen before in history, so I wouldn’t trade the technology we have now for anything. But there are also so many C-sections and other interventions that are not necessarily good for women or babies. Some kind of middle ground (such as working with a midwife and giving the birth time to play out, but in an environment where technology is available to assist if it’s needed) seems appropriate to consider here. I know a lot of naturopaths and non-traditional medical professionals are quacks, but that doesn’t mean the overall approach has nothing to offer.
Hmm love all this soothing Western scepticism, just makes me feel right at home. Unfortunately though, living in Asia, I gotta deal with this like all other intercultural transactions: It’s not worse than my culture, it’s not better than my culture, it’s just different. And that is how I can sign off on our health insurance plan that includes Traditional Chinese Medicine in the same section as Western Medicine Consultations. Yup, I think it’s crazy, but some of colleagues just really need thier mashed up roots and animal bits.
Welllllllllllllllllllllllllllll. I am focused on outcomes — but the cultural aspect is fascinating. Plants and roots — and even animal semen — are used in western pharmaceutical products. (Well, synthetic versions.)
I don’t believe in popping pills for fun or sport — unless it’s Xanax or Percocet and that’s a whole other discussion.
Just kidding. Sorta. I’m advocating for fiscal responsibility based on demonstrated outcomes.
Yeah, I’m sure TCM has demonstrated outcomes (no sarcasm at all, I’m sure there are studies showing positive outcomes from TCM practices), but I would feel a hell of a lot better about it if it was synthetic versions of animals.
Oh well, to meet my other responsibilities (i.e. benefits that employees actually want) I will just have to turn a blind eye. I guess it all just comes down to what matters most, and my ethical conviction about not endangering species will never win over a culturally accepted practice of medical treatment.
Don’t like chiropracters, a lot, but could argue eloquently for cranial sacral therapy. don’t ask me to explain it because I can’t but I have benefited from it. TMJ wise. But I also have to give credit to the toughest and best physio ever who gave me a swollen face and the ability to move my jaw.
I’m not compelled to have evidence for everything before I trust it. Our current science can’t explain everything as we are still evolving and learning. A chapter from a favourite book is “Just because you can’t see it, it doesn’t mean it isn’t there” and that expresses how I feel about this.
I’m for choice for the individual and I think these therapies when they are practicised by reputable and experienced individuals, often overlaying these therapies onto other skills and experience can be very powerful. I’ve dipped into most and the one I was most baffled by (Cranial Sacral) was the most effficacious. People aren’t going to be forced to opt into these therapies, and all decent therapists whether they are giving you a pedicure or physio will be advising you to exercise and eat well. Doctors are a little too attached to the pharmaceutical industry for my liking, and my recent experience from my GP is that they are rather bored and tired of patients, whereas my alternative therapists appear to be quite interested in healing.
I actually had a cranial sacral massage (talked into it) and felt like a chump. D’oh. The practitioner told me it was me and that I wasn’t open to the experience. D’oh x2. Then she told me that it was a process and I needed more sessions. D’oh x3!
The massage was good. When she stood over my body with her hands in weird positions? Well, that was odd and I was like, “Get to rubbin.”
(Note to self: that sounds awful.)
The purpose of wellness plans is to help ALL staff, that inlcudes those who need a prescription plan so they can be drugged into oblivion when they are ill as well as those who want to try drinking beet juice from Schrute Farms to cure their irritable bowel syndrome. Its not up to us as HR pro’s to say which is valid, if the Staff see it as a benefit to their wellness program then it is worth considering.
I’m not sure that’s a purpose of a wellness plan. It’s to reduce govt or company spend on health care costs. Outcomes are (unfortunately) a secondary concern. And it’s not up to the staff to determine what goes into the wellness plan. It’s up to the people who draft the plan and approve the expenditure.
This comic fits right in with this thread.
http://sci-ence.org/red-flags2/
And this one at the work of genius that is XKCD:
http://xkcd.com/765/
Hilarious.
Dear Laurie – On this rare occasion, I have to say you are way out of line and out of your league (in terms of expertise). It’s ok – we all go there / do that from time to time. Me – I become an film critic or traffic planner despite the fact that I have no background in either one. Doesn’t stop me from opining. But – I have to keep a check on how far I extend those critiques. You’re correct in that practioners of ALL ilk (whether M.D., N.D. D.C., whatevah) can do great harm. AND they can ALL help greatly. I have had good and bad experiences with both. But – you do the HR community and yourself a disservice by such gross generalizations and extrapolations here.
I hear you. I confidently stand by what I wrote because it’s not really gross generalizations. It’s science. But I don’t need to write a PhD thesis on quackery in order to be right. Other people have done it. And I run a private blog where people can agree or disagree with me on my terms because I pay for the site. [Now I'm chanting USA! USA! USA!]
But I want to be clear — I don’t disrespect the fact that people feel that they can have positive outcomes from unscientific treatments. I have great outcomes from haircare products that make outrageous claims and don’t hold up to scientific research. I spend my own money on those products. I believe that corporate HR wellness plans should pay for programs and services that are grounded in excellent scientific research and data. You want to get chiro or whatnot? Go ahead. Just don’t use revenue from the company to pay for it. And much like a boyfriend or husband might roll his eyes at my latest Keratin-based conditioning treatment, I’m rolling my eyes at chiro.
I do appreciate your reasonable tone, though. You’re a champ.
If homeopathy and chiropractic are unscientific and only work by placebo effect why do they work so well on animals?
An aside just for info really, on cranial sacral therapy; the treatment I have had doesn’t involve any massage and I certainly wasn’t asked to be open to anything. My treatment was undertaken by a physio with 30 years experience who had had en epiphany that the whole body/person needs to be treated and had moved to the cranial sacral therapy. Although there was no massage manipulation, she was clearly informed by many years experience of the body and mind. I think it reinforces my own view that there needs to be careful selection when choosing these therapies. I hope your cold/allergy gets better soon. Yay, it’s Friday.
Let me clarify the chiropractic medicine comments. All chiropractic schools in the US are accredited by the an accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Government. Their schools are also accredited by regional accreditation agencies–same as the medical schools. Chiropractic physicians are considered “doctors” by all 50 states. There are 2 factions within the profession. Approximately 20% cling to the unscientific notion of vertebral subluxations as the cause of “dis-ease”. The other 80% take an evidenced based approach of conservative health care. What these 80% do is found in your GP’s, orthopedic’s, neuro’s or PT’s office. These chiropractors provide patients with this care in one location. A study published in Spine in 2009 found a patient has a slightly higher. Of course the GP didn’t touch their neck. The conclusions of the study–from medical journal Spine–was that these patients were suffering symptoms of a stroke in progress when presenting to the GP or chiropractor. The chiropractic profession has it nut bags–those 20% but the other 80% believe in researched based treatment.
Corrected from previous post:
Let me clarify the chiropractic medicine comments. All chiropractic schools in the US are accredited by an accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Government. Their schools are also accredited by highly respected regional accreditation agencies–who also accredit medical schools. Chiropractic physicians are considered “doctors” in all 50 states. There are 2 factions within the profession. Approximately 20% cling to the unscientific notion of vertebral subluxations as the cause of “dis-ease”. The other 80% take an evidenced based approach of conservative health care. What these 80% do is found in your GP’s, orthopedic’s, neuro’s or PT’s office. These chiropractors provide patients with care in one location–instead of having go from office to office of these other providers. A study published in Spine in 2009 found a patient has a slightly higher chance of suffering a stroke after visiting their GP vs their chiropractor. Of course the GP didn’t touch their neck. The conclusions of the study–from the highly respected medical journal Spine–was that these patients were suffering symptoms of a stroke (headache being the most common) that was in progress when presenting to the GP or chiropractor. Previous studies had only looked at those who had visited a chiropractor within 30 days of a stroke. The chiropractic profession has its nut bags–the 20% I mentioned–but the other 80% believe in researched based treatment, work in integrated clinics, military and VA hospitals, and reject the unproved vertebral subluxation.
Laurie
I was going to leave this alone because it is just a blog in the world of many blogs, however, I took a moment to read your personal information and considering the number of people you might impact with your uninformed, not researched, opinion, I reconsidered.
As you have indicated there are extremes in all professions, even in HR I am sure, and to use these extremes as representative of any profession is, well, dishonest. It shows a lack of ability to truly research a subject and leaves one open to posting nothing but a prejudice and being accused of being ignorant. You do not appear to be an uneducated lady, uninformed on the subject of health and wellness as well as chiropractic, but otherwise an intelligent person.
If you took the time to research chiropractic in legitimate publications and blogs you would have found that chiropractic has been proven to “return injured workers to the work place in half the time and at half the cost as medical providers (including PT)” for musculoskeletal injuries. These findings have been repeated in multiple studies going back as far as 1966. You would also find that Blue Cross of Illinois funded a study that showed the use of chiropractors as PCP’s from 2003 to 2005 (and beyond) had a savings of over 60% when compared to insureds using MD’s for a PCP and the satisfaction rate was much higher for those that used the chiropractor as well.
It does not surprize me that “Billy Bob” had a sister whose hairdresser knew a lady whose boyfriends sister had a stroke in the same year that she saw a chiropractor. When you have a bias you tend to look for evidence to support your bias and will not see anything that contradicts your bias. Educated people are aware of their bias, ignorance, and work to see all sides of an issue and you are a presumably an educated lady.
Before you going publishing a blog about something you know nothing about, like chiropractic, health and wellness, naturopathy, you might want to do some honest research. For chiropractic read the “Manga Report” commissioned by the Ontario government, read papers in Spine and other Journals. To help get you started here are some links you might want to look over.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W7P-51519N5-1&_user=10&_coverDate=10%2F02%2F2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=1082717c0d6c9cf26033cbafa952a8bb&searchtype=a
http://mediwire.healingwell.com/main/Default.aspx?P=Content&ArticleID=174244
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20889389
http://www.foundation4cp.com/
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20091021/Addition-of-chiropractic-care-increases-value-in-US-employer-sponsored-health-benefit-plans.aspx
I wouldn’t assume that billy bob is skeptical of chiropractic any more than I would assume that you’re a credible source on this, either. The internet has a funny way of making everyone an expert. Even me.
Wow! I haven’ t read this much rubbish in a long time but, that’s why people like yourself spend all your time blogging about things like science and have no education in it! Ha! You make me laugh with such high display of ignorance and lack of knowledge! Does your parents know you write this kind of junk? How about getting some real knowledge about science and go back to school!
I am a bit disappointed or actually more saddened by the message of this blog.
Obviously, we all have our opinions on how we feel about health care, wellness programs and choice of doctors so I feel the need to share mine!!!
Laurie, my question to you, have you have dealt with herniated discs? Where you lay on the ground, crying because you don’t know how to get up? You’re exhausted because you cannot sleep at night? Go to work popping pill after pill to make it through 8 hours of sitting behind your desk? Where you favorite activities become a burden? Or you hit a state of depression because life overall just start to suck because the pain just does not leave?
I hope for your sake you haven’t, but I have been in that place and it is not pleasant.
I was in my late 30th and should have been in my prime of good health. I am not overweight, I eat decent, I like my wine but don’t overdue it. I love to walk, hike and swim. Unfortunately just like other family members I struggled with back issues from a fairly young age. Both my father and I have herniated discs.
When the pain became so severe and made my every day living so unbearable I decided to see a surgeon who advised the following:
1. Cortisone shots (like that solves any-thing, that is just a temporarily fix)
2. Surgery, to remove some of the bulge of the herniated disc to relieve irritation of the nerve.
Although a common surgery, it has many risks and as the doctor stated: NO GUARANTEES!!!. So this left me at my witch end, what were the alternatives!!!
In my case: meeting my chiropractor. I have seen my chiropractor for the last three years. When we started our commitment to put my back , back into good health, he promised me he could adjust my back where I would be able to function and should be relieved from some pain. I swear 4 months later I was without pain, numbness, tingling and I now live life to the fullest…. Yes, I still see him for maintenance to make sure the back stays aligned, but this goes together with regular exercise and healthy diet.
I am sorry to read in your earlier posts that you have a possible jaw issue? I understanding you are taking medicine to reduce the inflammatory? I used to take them but since my visits to my chiropractor I have not had the need to take “ONE” pill to alleviate pain during the last 2.5 years.
So my personal opinion regarding chiropractors is different than yours. Just like in ANY HEALTH PROFESSION, there will always be health care professionals who are sublime at what they do, and then there are others who should be ashamed and obviously should be doing something else. However, I am thankful for my chiropractor and highly recommend his services.
However should it be included in a wellness programs? No, it should be covered under your health insurance plan. 10 Visits still beat the cost of surgery, the medication and physical therapy. But that is just my opinion.
This is terrifying stuff, Laurie, but mostly because of your shocking lack of knowledge concerning naturopathic physicians. A licensed naturopathic physician saved my husband from colon surgery when an M.D. said there was no other way to help him. A licensed naturopathic physician helped a friend bring down his high cholesterol by more than 50 points in a year. A licensed naturopathic physician referred another friend to an effective treatment for cervical dysplasia that did not involve invasive surgery. Get your facts straight before you toss around rubbish.
You are judging what an individual deems to be helpful and healthful to them. If “modern” medicine has failed them in some way…and it’s certainly been known to do that over and over again, then alternative options are perfectly reasonable (or a combination thereof). Deaths, misdiagnosis, etc are the realm of both traditional and non-traditional medicine and practices. I believe if the employee would like to use their coverage for alternative purposes, it should be up to them to do so. A wellness program should be wholistic and non-judgemental.
So, a patient of mine put this on my Facebook page and asked me my thoughts, being in HR and a not agreeing with the article. Being a pediatric chiropractor (bet that gets you all riled up) for the last 12 years, I see garbage like this every other week. Some crazy cat lady, with no kids, and no real life experience in what she speaks about, goes off on a manic rant on her own illogical, ignorant, and pathetic opinions on a blog where she can hide from the world and have no accountability for her statements. I am not going to waste my time refuting nonsense. Come to my office one day and I’ll show you thousands of people who have gotten better under Chiropractic care…and not neck and back pain patients. People with asthma, allergies, chronic fatigue, digestive issues…then, if your capable, go back to your basement and all your cats and write a fair and unbiased article.
Oh, and by the way, yes, Chiropractic is based on vitalism. If you bothered to look it up, all it means is that there is a greater power/intelligence in the universe (most of us refer to it as God), that runs the show down here. And, we are all connected to that intelligence by our own power called innate intelligence.
Not believing in that either means your an atheist, a devil worshipper or a crazy cat lady who blogs in her basement high on Tidy Cat. You choose.
> I am not going to waste my time refuting nonsense
Apparently you are…
Anyway, I really want to know how chiropractice cures allergies and digestive issues. Dodgy back – I can possibly understand that. The other stuff. Nah.
Oh, and if the answer is ‘It just works, we don’t know how’ – let’s not bother.
One more thing. Do you have to believe in a specific god here for the vitalism thing to kick in? Is it OK to be a muslim? Can Jewish chiropracticers treat Christians or doesn’t it work that way? Honestly, I want to know.
3.500 people die every 10 days from the side effects of pharmaceutical drugs. My mother was one of them.
I have been in the natural health field for 20 years. I ONLY use these alternative methods with real results, not an aspirin to let my body think it does not hurt.
Science is cute when they have scientific evidence and then years later they discover something else and realize that the truth is something different. So scientific!
It’s really awful to read the amount of hate mail that I’ve received from the “alternative medicine” community — a group of people that purports to believe in the beauty and capacity of both God and vitalism.
The comments above aren’t much better.
The best way to demonstrate the validity and reliability of chiro/naturopathy/homeopathy is to participate in very serious and rigorous clinical trials and studies. Unfortunately, your communities have failed to meet the basic standards needed to prove scientific outcomes.
It’s great that some people get results from chiro/naturopathy/homeopathy. I have alcoholics in my family who get results from whiskey. Doesn’t mean it’s safe or scientifically valid.
My post stands.
121 comments ...wanna add one?