Chiropractic the greatest hoax of the Century? [Paperback]

L.A. Chotkowski (Author)

Book Description

Series: Chiropractic, the Greatest Hoax of the Century? | Publication Date: December 31, 1998

This book exposes the practice of chiropractic as a false health care practice that has flourished basically unchallenged over the past century The conclusion drawn ,as corraborated by a survey of 27 American Medical College deans, is that there is no scientific validity to the ill- defined chiropractic theory of a vertebral body subluxation pressing on a nerve and interfering with the passage of energy down that nerve to various organs of the body thereby causing disease, and that such disease can be treated by chiropractic adjustments of these subluxations or that chiropractic can cure disease or promote wellness in any way. The various controversial events involving chiropracticare covered such as the Wilk vs the AMA,Consumer Reports, the AHCP&R Guidelines for Acute Low Back Pain, and the AMA position, and the opinions of health care leaders like C.Evertt Koop, former Surgeon General, Dr George Lundberg former editor of JAMA and Dr.Paul Shekelle of the Rand Corporation. The book is written in clearly understandable language providing a well documented body of information for doctors who may also wish to leave the book in their waiting rooms;for pharmacists, physical therapists, nurses,and the rest of the health care community,- and most of all for all those who would like to know the scientific truth about this practice.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The journal of the Connecticut State Medical Society: "Dr Chotkowski has successfully approached the chiropractic arena medically, legally, congressionally, personally" -- Connecticut Medicine, theJournal of the Connecticut State Medical Society --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Graduate of Trinity College, Yale Medical School, Residency Hartford Hospital, Board Certified and Recertified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. Former Health Director, Medical Examiner, School Physician, Chief of Medicine at Rocky Hill Veterans Home and Hospital; Medical Director Connecticut Valley Mental Hospital.

Product Details

• Paperback: 197 pages
• Publisher: New England Novelty Books; 2nd Rev edition (December 31, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965785513
• ISBN-13: 978-0965785518
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,655,702 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Professional Opinion, November 5, 2006

By 

Kenneth P. Stack "Ken Stack, MS,PT,CSCS" (Raleigh,NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chiropractic the Greatest Hoax of the Century? (Paperback)

I will begin by saying I am biased against the chiropractic industry generally due to my position as a physical therapist. I have experience interacting with chiropractors and have treated patients with both positive and negative exepriences receiving chiropractic care.

I purchased Chiropractic: The Greatest Hoax of the Century? with great interest hoping to confirm my suscipions of the chiropractic industry. The author himself is a long practicing physician which enhances his credibility in this endeavour. The book is based more on isolated experiences and informal 'interviews' with chiropractors rather than drwaing on eveidence based research or other more quantitative means of exposing shortcomings in this profession. The author comes off as unprofessional as some of the very unethical chiropractors he has been exposed to with his opinion based,fact lacking rants on the topic.

Within the text there is some good content on the origins of chiropractic care with hisory and government agency and political organization lobbying and results. That sort of information is redeeming as is data on cervical spine injuries through chiropractic care which I personally have concern with over the high thrust spine manipulations used in treatment. In chapter 16 the author attempts to answer the very question I have pondered: why people go to chiropractors? The success of that chapter will be determined by each reader but I come away still asking that question to some degree.

A two star rating is given for the valuable information that is included, entertainment value, and thought provoking nature of the content. Overall the book comes off very biased and opinion based focusing on the worst practioners of a profession which always yields negative and concerning content for the public.

38 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A sad day for patients everywhere, October 15, 2000

By 

Brandon R. Cooper (Los Angeles, California USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chiropractic the greatest hoax of the Century? (Paperback)

I am an MD and a DC (Doctor of Chiropractic). This book was a completely biased account of a profession that has had a profoundly positive impact on patient care and wellness. It is simply another example of certain doctor's realization that they are not the only way to acheive good health. I too was a skeptic of chiropractic. However, rather than allow fear to influence my opinion, I chose to explore the practice. One must ask oneself, "Should I doubt because an MD told me to? Or should I see for myself?" I have found countless scientific evidence to support chiropractic. I recommend that Chotkowski and Chotkowski re-evaluate their research. This book is simply an attempt to keep patients brainwashed. Unfortunately, it is a matter of dollars and cents. Be aware of the motivation to discredit a practice that seeks wellness above all else, without toxic side effects.

34 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Worked for me..., November 9, 2005

By 

Mark L. Scott "Phlegmbulance" (California, USA.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chiropractic the Greatest Hoax of the Century? (Paperback)

All I know is that I was in desperate pain, unable to turn my head to the left, and could barely walk upright. I had to move incredibly slowly to do anything at all.

My job as a video graphics professional for the last seventeen years had me chained to a desk for up to 18 hours a day. The lack of movement and incredible amounts of stress had taken their toll.

I visited a chiropractor here in Southern California. He cracked my back and my neck, jammed his knuckles into my shoulder blades, and generally did everything I had ever seen chiropractors do in the movies. I even got the comedy crackling noise when he did the rapid neck twist on me.

I had to go back three more times for the pain to completely go. I haven't been back since April 2005. I'm now very aware of what to do and when to do it, as the chiropractor gave me great advice, so that I could look after myself by taking preventative measures.

Indeed that's the very antithesis of the typical three-day-work-week American doctor, who, under the auspices of the pharmaceutical compnies, wil lkeep us drug dependent and running back to him for more and more.

Western medicine is all about filling the fat pockets of greedy doctors and even greedier fat cat drug companies, especially here in the US, where the prices are artificially high. If someone wants to write a book about the scam that is American private medicine, I have plenty of tales.

I see that someone (whom I presume to be a doctor of traditional Western medicine) has taken a swipe at those of us that have actually had the temerity to disagree with the central tenets of this hatchet job against chiropractors.

I apologise for my 'badly written' review. I feel that the success of my treatment is something to be celebrated. Perhaps I should be as narrow-minded as S.Sawyer, and presume that he probably thinks therapy and other alternative medicines are also all of dubious value. But no, you couldn't possibly be that much of a self-stereotyping caricature.

Could you?