For MD's

Dear Doctor,

You may have come across chiropractors, either personally, or via advertising materials, who present themselves as peculiar, irrational, or not clinically grounded. I sympathize with your aversion to this. Within chiropractic, there is a growing divide between those who choose evidence guided and outcomes based practice, and those who continue to adhere to 100 year old dogmatic beliefs. There is divide between those that will lure patients into exorbitant treatment schemes and sell your patients anything at all to make a buck, and those that choose what they do with a modicum of clinical restraint. Thankfully, there is a growing number of chiropractors who are maintaining high clinical standards and are helping to bring chiropractic further into the mainstream. It is likely that about 10% of DC's represent the profession in a way that elevates our level of respect. The elite level in the chiropractic profession are part of larger medical programs. The medical director at the US Olympic Training Center is a DC. So is the medical director of the Back Pain Program at Jordan Hospital here in Plymouth, MA. There remains so many MD's that have never met a chiropractor. I hope you take some time to make alliances with quality DC's. Your patients will be happy with the viable avenue of musculoskeletal healthcare we provide.

Many of my patients come to me by way of medical referral. I also treat many medical providers and their family members. As any of the physicians that refer patients to me will tell you, your patients will receive a thorough history, physical examination, and logical treatment program. All referring MD's receive a patient report. You are always welcome to call or email me, or to come to my office and observe what we provide. I also invite you to check out the little video clips on my web site to get an idea of the kinds of products and services your patients receive. Always feel free to contact me anytime.

Sincerely,

Scott

You're NOT Obtaining Modern Chiropractic Care if the Chiropractor:

Insists on taking lots of x-rays before clinical examination warrants it, wants to take x-rays to find bones out of place, or wants to take xrays to measure your spinal curve angles.

Bases treatment on the "removal of vertebral subluxations" and does not care about symptoms.

Has lots of literature in their office that is anti-medical.

Preaches their ability to "detect and correct interference with the expression of innate intelligence within the body." (like they are some magical guru)

"Does not diagnose." [It's a doctor's duty to diagnose...by law.]

Uses pseudoscience to preach that all human ailments are caused by the elucive "vertebral subluxation." Uses scare tactics to solicit business, such as preaching that "vertebral subluxations are silent killers," and that your whole family needs to be checked for subluxations.

Believes that no more education is needed by chiropractors, or that chiropractors obtaining education by any other institution but theirs implies a collusion with the medical or pharmaceutical industry.

Uses terminology not understandable by other healthcare providers.

Calls themselves "straight" or "principled" chiropractors (like all others have no principles).

Uses only one tool or proprietary technique (e.g. Activator) at the expense of mainstream methods, or, even worse, uses a questionnable, unsubstantiated technique (e.g. Network Spine Analysis or B.E.S.T.), and disregards care avenues such as exercise, myofascial therapy, nutrition, etc.

Sells the patient costly "Care Contracts" for such things as "spinal decompression therapy" before less expensive, clinically appropriate methods are tried.

What To Do About This:

Ask logical questions! Expect logical answers or send your patients elsewhere. Go to the chiropractor's web site and see what kind of information is presented.

This esoteric, dogmatic minority within the chiropractic profession threatens those who desire advancment and full integration into the medical mainstream. This minority in chiropractic may be harmful to the public by not providing diagnosis, quality care, or referral options for patients.

There is no "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval" for DC's. Nevertheless www.westhartfordgroup.com is a good place to start. Please consider taking the time to meet one-on-one with a DC. Maybe discuss a case, and get a sense of which DC's help your patients. This should be the same process you would take with any other provider, MD, PT, DO, etc.