Recently, a member of our practice had an appointment with their MD, and mentioned how they were pleased with our office, but wanted to get their MD’s opinion on Chiropractic care in general.  While the doctor did seem to be approving, he also mentioned that there were potential side effects he thought his patient should be aware of.  The doctor felt the need to mention this because he believed that most chiropractors don’t inform their patients of those risks.  What?

Ok, first off, of all primary care physicians, chiropractors have the lowest malpractice premiums (malpractice rates are based on the chance of something bad happening).  I personally pay about $100 a month for mine; ask your MD what they pay. Second, chiropractic has been a profession for over 100 years.  During that time there have been approximately 10 cases of serious adverse advents possibly attributed to the chiropractic care.  This is out of billions of adjustments.  Does that mean I should scare all the members of our practice by discussing every possible negative outcome, regardless of how miniscule the chance of it happening might be?  I might as well warn them that they might get struck by lightning or get robbed during their adjustment too.  In fact, our office has been robbed twice during the last eight years (outside of office hours), so this is your fair warning.  We have never been struck by lightning though.  I’m sure you are getting my point in this sarcastic commentary, but let me put another nail or two in this.  SINCE SIDE EFFECT to PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS ARE NOW ONE OF THE LEADING CA– USES OF DEATH, CAUSING 100,000 DEATHS A YEAR IN THE U.S., does your M.D. inform you of this VERY REAL statistic before handing you the scrip?

There is still an incredible amount of faith being put into our antiquated medical system and its primary medicinal/surgical approach to remove symptoms and not problems.  For example, why did we have to wait until 2007 to put black box warnings on Zoloft and Paxil acknowledging that they cause suicide in 4 out of 100 kids who are prescribed to take them?  They’ve known about it since 1990!  Remember VIOXX? That powerful pain reliever killed more people than the Vietnam war before they pulled it.  Does your pediatrician inform you that your child has a 50% greater chance of developing asthma each time an antibiotic is prescribed?  Lipitor is the King of the prescription drugs, the amount of profit it earns makes Columbian drug lords look like corner hustlers.  Lipitor is supposed to help lower the risk of Cardiovascular disease, instead, it’s just causing a lot of muscle ache and a lot more VIAGRA, since another side effect is lowered testosterone production.  Oh, and by the way, mercury is a neurotoxin, but please take the next HINI or R2D2 flu vaccine because, even though we haven’t tested its safety, kids and old people need it?  Is it just a fluke that now 1 in 100 kids are autistic?

We just keep buying into this crap, and I’m wondering when it will end.  Well, I know it’s closer, because people aren’t laughing anymore, they generally get angry.  That is how new thoughts conquer old paradigms.  First those new ideas are seen as laughable, then anger, ridicule, and opposition forms, and finally acceptance is achieved.

While I by no means want to live in a society without medicine, I do want to live in a society that uses medicine appropriately.  We are not tapping into the natural healing ability of the human body enough.  This is what the chiropractic lifestyle is all about.  Remove the interference and let the body do its thing.

Much respect,

Dr. M