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From: rcd@opus.UUCP (Dick Dunn)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: Chiropractors
Message-ID: <571@opus.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 26-Jun-84 03:45:31 EDT
Article-I.D.: opus.571
Posted: Tue Jun 26 03:45:31 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 30-Jun-84 01:40:20 EDT
References: <4555@utcsrgv.UUCP>
Organization: NBI, Boulder
Lines: 27

I've heard of very few instances where people think they were harmed by
chiropractors.  However, I've known a number of people who seem to go to
chiropractors on a more-or-less regular basis, from which I have to wonder
if the chiropractors may not be treating symptoms rather than real
problems.  [In at least one case, I could label the patient a hypochondriac
without feeling guilty.]  It bothers me to see people going for biweekly or
monthly treatments for years on end when the treatments are supposed to be
fixing a problem.  It's hard to accept someone "getting better" from a
minor problem for two years.

One good indicator appears to be how the chiropractor regards other
branches of medicine, other therapeutic treatment, and science in general.
A chiropractor who has real disdain for MD's is suspect.  The ones who
check your aura, put little vials on your chest (or aluminum on your ear!)
and pull on your arms, are on the outer edge and best avoided unless you're
doing a dissertation on fringe science.

My wife is a massage therapist.  She has massaged people who had been
unsuccessfully treated by chiropractors - the chiropractor even cautioned
against massage.  She has also massaged chiropractors.  Now, there's
nothing magic about massage, and it doesn't conflict with what chiropractic
claims to do.  A chiropractor in particular should understand therapeutic
massage; if he doesn't, he's being parochial for no very sound reason and
you have to wonder what he's up to.
-- 
Dick Dunn	{hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd		(303)444-5710 x3086
	...Relax...don't worry...have a homebrew.