Customer Reviews

Home Chiropractic Handbook

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

There's a lot more to chiropractic than this book covers, just as there's a good bit more to neurosurgery than first aid.

But what a first aid manual it is. From basic spinal anatomy through the movements and techniques of simple chiropractic, Holmquist teaches enough to maintain good spinal health, fix programmer's neck and other dread maladies.

My wife's headaches are gone, and we're not driving 40 miles to see a 'doctor' for a simple mechanical adjustment. If you crash a motorcycle, see a real chiro. If not, this is great stuff!

This is an excellent book. As the author notes a number of people try to adjust their spine by "popping" their back at home. They really don't know what they are doing, just that it feels good. Why not show them the correct way to do this. After all it's not rocket science. I have had the book and video for several months and have never felt better. Not only am I able to stand and walk longer, I also sleep more soundly. My wife's back-aches are a thing of the past. It has improved our health and well being immensely.
The two negative reviews below from Chiropractors just goes to show you that the secret is out. I would bet that neither of them have read the book, and are merely threatened by the knowledge that most people can take care of a majority of their chiropractic needs at home.

This book is a fantastic intro to chiropractic principles. I have adjusted myself and my family with understanding and success. Dr. Holmquests ability to convey chiropractic technique is impressive and inspiring. This book has shaken the chiro establishment to its core. Don't let others instill fear in your heart. This book is a leap of boldness and courage unmatched in the chiropractic world. The truth will set you free!! Read this book and impress yourself. You can do it with ease. Video available as well to compliment the book which I would recommend highly.

First, let me just mention this books saved my job. As a computer programmer I found my wrists becoming worse and worse over time. I scheduled my routine chiropractic visits for awhile, but soon, I found my funds were running dry. On top of this, my wife was suffering at her work due to back pains. Since we could not afford routine chiropractic visits and needed to do something, we decided to give this book a try.

Today, I am back to work with almost no pain in my wrists. My wife can sit at work the entire day without suffering back pains. We find that the chiropractic visits are not enough for routine maintenance. We require adjustments several times per week. We cannot afford this. At the same time I am exercising to strengthen the muscles. Eventually, I am certain things will stay in place. We have decided that in the more serious cases we will see the chiropractor. But for routine maintenance (which we would not see the chiropractor for anyway), we will do it ourselves.

Do NOT listen to the "chirobabble" being spit out in the negative reviews. The techniques are simple and have had no negative affects on us. I believe we would have to try real hard to mess them up. The only people it hurts are the chiropractors, as they receive less visits from us.

First off, Dr. Holmquist states several times in this handbook that he isn't liable for any injury, etc. He advises you to be very, very careful when practicing chiro techniques. He admits that a book isn't the best venue to convey chiro techniques, which is why the VHS tape is available.

Having said that, this book is [unfortunately] the only thing on the market available for public consumption.

His anatomical diagrams are poorly drawn, but get the point across. His demonstrative photographs are much better. His narratives are straightforward, if a bit bias and preachy.

If you or your family suffer from back problems and cannot afford to see a chiro regularly, then this book may be for you. I would highly, highly suggest buying the accompanying VHS tape, though. The book isn't enough by itself.

Karl Holmquist is an experienced and professional chiropractor who has compiled an instruction manual on the chiropractic principle in correcting the spine in your own home. Profusely illustrated, comprehensive, practical, offering step-by-step lessons, making it a thoroughly 'user friendly' instructional guide, the "Home Chiropractic Handbook" is ideal for the non-specialist general reader and will hold immense interest for anyone curious about the chiropractic approach to health and medicine. Also very highly recommended for personal and community library Alternative Medicine reference collections is Holmquist's instructional DVD, Home Chiropractic (093508102X, $49.95).

I have been seeing chiropractors for 20 years now. Between my insurance company and I many thousands have been spent. Immediatly after an accident a chiro is needed. Once you are in the 'maintenance' mode they are NOT needed. This books shows you the simple maintenance manipulations that are safe and easy, including the ones on the neck. You must buy the video that supplants this book. I live in Alaska where a simple 2 second treatment costs $50. What a racket! Stop being a cash cow and take control of your spinal maintenance and buy this book! You don't see a doctor for a simple headache? Why see a chiropractor for a simple adjustment? I adjust my brother and my wife and they adjust me. We have been doing the maintenance adjustments following the methods of this book for 8 years now and feel fantastic.

Its not a good idea to to manipulate your own spine at home. There are some spinal manipulations that could be dangerous. Instead of wasting your money on this do it yourself book, please go see a licensed doctor of chiropractic in your area.

This book has been around for quite some time. The only problem is that you cant Learn how to safely perform these procedures from a simple booklet!

I doubt very much that the gentleman who wrote this book is accredited to teach chiropractic, and he certainly isn't handing out DC degrees and licenses to practice.

Doctors of chiropractic (DC) go through 3 to 4 years of pre-med undergraduate college before going on to Chiropractic College at an ACCREDITED COLLEGE of chiropractic - another 3 to 5 years. They then must pass rigorous national and sometimes state written and practical testing before they can become licensed.

The training and testing to become LICENSED to perform chiropractic adjustments is extensive for a reason - PATIENT SAFETY.

Medical training gives the licensed chiropractor the knowledge to diagnose properly. For obvious reasons, you want your practitioner to know what they are treating and why - and just as important is the knowledge of when NOT to treat. There is a wide variety of conditions and circumstances that contraindicate adjustment: with some conditions you never adjust a certain part of the body; with other conditions you may have to moderate your technique for the patient's safety.

Many injuries from "chiropractic treatments" are from lay people or other practitioners who are not DCs.

Licensed chiropractors have honed their physical skills to be able to get the patient into the optimal position, deliver a precise amount of force in exactly the right direction. This is not a skill you can learn solely from a book. Too much force or the wrong "line of drive" can hurt someone badly.

A licensed doctor of chiropractic takes a medical history, performs a physical exam, comes up with a list of differential diagnoses, creates a treatment plan, implements that plan and changes that plan as necessary depending on patient response to treatment.

There is no way that this book can give a lay person the knowledge and background to safely treat themselves or another person.

Using this book to treat someone is practicing without a license.

As for Dr. Holmquist's contention that some doctors over-treat and have patients keep coming back when they don't need to: if you feel that this may be the case for you, just see a different DC and get a second opinion.