What the Hell?
by R. J. Hammett, D.C.
I know that this article was supposed to be a continuation of my last
article, but if you will excuse me, I came across something I thought
might make you think.
Recently, I visited a mid-western “chiropractic” college which is about
an hour and a half from my office. In twenty years of practice, I’ve
occasionally questioned the bookstore to see what’s new in diagnostic
text and other chiropractic stuff. In years past, I’ve picked up some
pretty good books on x-rays and diagnostics. But this time things have
changed. I hadn’t visited this bookstore in 2 to 3 years, so on a
Thursday, I made a day of it.
What an eye opener! Upon entering the bookstore, the first things I
usually look for are books on “Chiropractic.” Well, I found 3 of them.
Yep, 3 out of hundreds of volumes, and none of them written by a Palmer
or anyone close to a chiropractic philosopher. So, depressed, I began to
look at what the chiropractic students used as reference texts. I found
the typical diagnostic, orthopedic, and neurological texts all pretty
good. But, low and behold, volume after volume of therapy texts, not
just physiotherapy, but homeopathic, naturopathic therapy. In fact, any
type of therapy you could conceive of, unbelievable. Then text after
text of medical care. It looked more like the University of Chicago
Medical School bookstore, than a chiropractic college.
Finally, the last blow. As the check out counter, among the gum and
candy, there it was . . . Tylenol, Aspirin, and Ibuprophen. I froze in
my tracks, looking in disbelief. The student checking me out asked if I
was O.K.? I said fine. I asked her, why does a chiropractic college have
these types of drugs in its bookstore? She answered, as a matter of
factly, that “when you have aches or pains, or headaches, they work
fast.” I then asked her what a spinal adjustment was. Her answer floored
me! She said, “The Tylenol, or aspirins work faster than the
adjustments, and besides, who has the time to adjust the spine!?” I took
a deep breath and looked for the exit.
As I’m driving home, I’m thinking to myself, is this what the “new”
generation of chiropractors are being taught? Is this how they think
about the spinal adjustment? How do they justify their chiropractic
degree? A second class medical doctor? I can hear them in their offices
after doing an hour of physiotherapy, acupuncture, and writing a
prescription for vitamins, telling the patients that they should just
take two Tylenol and that will get rid of their life long migraines.
When was the last time you visited your chiropractic college bookstores?
What were they selling? Was it Chiropractic? Was it something you even
recognized as Chiropractic? If not, maybe you should stomp down to the
presidents’ office and offer them a preventative dose of Tylenol or
Ibuprophen for the headaches they are creating for the future of the
profession.
For those of you in “practice” for 15 years or longer, the implications
are black and white. These young turks are the ones who will define
“chiropractic” in the future. They will be the ones doing IMEs and
testifying against you in court. Yes, the future of chiropractic is
improving, gaining “respectability.” In fact, chiropractic will look so
good, we’ll call if physical medicine.
The last thought is, how are you and the “drug wars?” What is in your
medicine cabinet, and if your own mental closet isn’t cleaned, how can
you expect your patients to believe you when you tell them that
chiropractic should be first, before drugs or surgery?
Next time, we’ll return to office insurance and collection solutions.
‘Til next time. . .