Customer Reviews

Chiropractic: The Victim's Perspective (Consumer Health Library)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(44)

 

 

I am not a chiropractor and I have never set foot inside a chiropractic office. I don't know about chiropractic, so I got this book and some others. Unfortunately, this book was so biased that I question the validity of any of its information. Initially, it seems impressive that the author has 272 references. However, the majority of these are not studies showing deterimental effects of chiropractic. They are quotes the author has taken from chiropractic sources(most likely out of context), and marketing material directed towards chiropracters. Ten of his remaining references were authored by Dr. Barret, who edited this book and five more were written by William T. Jarvis, whose glowing review is featured on the back cover of this book along with Charles DuVall's review, who is also found as a reference. What a surprise that they would like this book. In his chapter on nutrition, the author talks quite a bit about dubious nutritional supplements. The author then states, "In 1988, 74 percent of about 2,400 respondents to a survey by Dynamic Chiropractic (the leading chiropractic newspaper) reported using nutrition supplements in their practices. In 1991, 83.5 percent of 4,835 full-time practitioners who responded to a survey by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) said they had used 'nutrional counseling, therapy or supplements' within the previous two years. Consumer Reports estimated that at least 150 supplement companies market through chiropractors."[p.100] In the first sentence, the statistic"74 percent of about 2,400 respondents..." is irrelevant because: 1) We do not know the percentage of practicing chiropractors that actually subscribe to this paper. That statistic is not telling us that 74% of all practicing chiropracters use supplements or even that 74% of all the chiropractors who subscribe to that paper use supplements. The 74% refers only to the "about 2,400" people who responded. The author uses the word "about" which I infer means the number of respondents was probably lower than 2,400. 2) We do not know what the survey meant by "supplements"or what the respondents thought it meant when they answered. There is certainly no reason to conclude that it referred to the dubious supplements the author had just previous talked about, but that seems to be the implication. Plain old calcium is a supplement, after all. The next statistic is from a NBCE survey "83.5% of 4,835 full-time practitioners who responded...said they had used 'nutritional counseling, therapy or supplements' within the previous two years." 1) Again,the 83.5% is the percentage of people who responded to the survey and does not mean 83.5 percent of chiropractors. 2) Again, we do not know what the survey or its respondents meant by the word "supplements". 3) Finally, these 83.5% might have advised patients on eating a more balanced diet to lose weight to help alleviate back problems. They would have to answer affirmatively to that question, even if they never used supplements in their practice because nutritional couseling and supplements were tied together as an answer. The last statistic is from an estimate by Consumer Reports, "150 supplement companies market through chiropractors." 1) We are not told how Consumer Reports arrived at this estimate. 2) We again do not know the nature of the supplements the estimate refers to. 3) We do not know how many chiropractors these 150 companies market through. A chiropractor might be willing to have supplements made by many different manufacturers available in his office. Some of the points in this book may be valid ones. However, because this book is written so deceptively, there is very little assurance that what is presented is anything more than information the author has twisted to support his (and Drs .Barrett and Jarvis')strong opinions.

Although the book does have some valid points and some useful information, its approach and attitude was sophomoric. Bad points can be raised about any group - MDs, DCs, Priests, Teachers, Parents, etc. Does this mean that any group that has a bad apple is an entirely sour bunch? I think not. After reading this book it is apparent that the authors and editor have a personal or even vengeful agenda to discredit an entire profession. Their anger and biased nature oozes through each page.

Give me a break. If there was a book written about all of the injuries and even worse, deaths, caused by the medical profession there would be countless volumes. To pick out a few examples and portray them as the entire truth is totally unprofessional and demeaning to the medical profession. There is a reason why chiropractors pay the lowest rates for malpractice insurance of any of the allied health professions. If you are truly interested in the possibility of chiropractic as a means to becoming heathier read the book by R. Martin or Chiropractic First.

Gee, thousands of people die each year because of medical doctors(drug interactions, failed surgery and so on)chiropractors rarely kill anybody(probably none), some injuries do occurr though. Your chances with a MD are much slimmer than with a chiropractor.

I think the authors a quack. He lives in a glass house and continues to throw stones. My back improved immensly under chiropractic care

I can't believe the trash that some people will put into print!

Page upon page of sour grapes, it was a pure ordeal to plod through.

Obviously the author is trying to spread his own agenda, probably being funded by the AMA.

I am only sorry I contributed to the publisher with my purchase of this book.

I thought I would learn some new insights into chiropractic medicine, but was sadly dissapointed

A very silly book, obvious propaganda, Manger certainly has an agenda. I'm very aware that medicine has a dismal record when it comes to back problems (I know..I'm an Internist). I've referred many to chiropractors and have received marvelous feedback. Pain which had been present for years had resolved in a relatively short time. This is after the patient (or insurance) spent countless thousands on PT, MRI's, Cat Scans etc. If this book keeps potential patients away from a very probable method to relieve symptoms, then Manger is "Doing Harm" Isn't the patients welfare the primary concern? Not with Manger, and his buddies..especially Barrett and Hamola. Lastly..a suggestion to these "quackwatch" people: Learn to write intellegently, the public are not fools!.

It's obvious that the author of this book has an agenda that originates from his inability to treat his patient's as effectively as chiropractors. I've been a chiropractic patient for years and glad to say it's helped me. By the way, I'm an M.D. myself and I specialize in neurology. I counldn't imagine not referring my patient's to a chiropactor. It's the only tool I have for my injured back patient's.

Being a Chiropractor, this tasteless work-of-art(less) proves there are illiterate people trying to write books about something they know nothing about.

The truth about Chiropractic is that it has been shown to be more effective and much safer than medical treatment in just about every instance in which studies have been conducted...(many of which have been published in medical journals). For instance, Chiropractic has been shown to be more effective in the treatment of addictions than conventional medical treatment. The favorable results attained in one year by conventional treatment were shown to be attained in no more than four weeks with Chiropractic treatment! You can find this study published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, Dec. 1999 which, by the way, is a big deal because it involves drugless intervention and is acknowledged in a journal primarily devoted to drug treatments of psychological disorders. This study was conducted in cooperation with the University of Miami School of Medicine and was designed by Robert Duncan, PhD. who is a very well-known biostatistician, and Jay M. Holder, D.C., M.D., PhD. It is a scientific study that will stand up to any scientific scrutiny. That's just one example. I'm not an extremist like the authors of this book. I look at everything objectively. I just can't tolerate bigotry and ignorance, especially when it's at the expense of the people we are supposed to be helping in attaining optimum health. The medical profession is great when it comes to emergency treatment, and it gets my respect in that aspect; however, the truth is that it's responsible for more injuries to people (and deaths)in one day than Chiropractors have ever been accused of injuring. You will probably never hear about the multitude of medical mishaps by the authors and editors of this book. If you really want to know the truth about what has been kept from you, the public, I suggest reading: Confessions of a Medical Heretic, by Robert S. Mendelsohn, M.D.; Under the Influence of Modern Medicine, by Terry A. Rondberg, D.C.; and Chiropractic First, by Terry A. Rondberg, D.C. These are great books which present a true objective view on today's health care, and what has been suppressed from the public for too long. It's long overdue that the people found out the truth about the driving forces behind our modern medical health care practices (i.e. huge profits enjoyed by pharmaceutical companies and the medical profession). The next time you sit down to watch your favorite TV shows, pay close attention to how many commercials/advertisements you see which involve pharmaceutical companies pushing one drug product or another, convincing you that you need their product to lead a healthy life.....it's a multi-billion dollar a year business!