First, there is no such thing as Chiropracty, Chiropractory, Chiropathy, etc. Now, there IS a degree called Dr. of Chiropody, but that's a foot doctor (chiropodist), and because of the confusion, they no longer use that term. (When I graduated from Chiropractic College, my grandmother asked me to cut her toenails. And no, I refused to do it.) This is the kind of thing that explains why we now know Chiropodists as Podiatrists, and Chiropractors have an uphill battle keeping their titles spelled correctly.
We who hold the D.C. (Doctor of Chiropractic) degree are CHIROPRACTORS, and we practice CHIROPRACTIC. That's it. There are no alternative spellings, no other terms used. And no, we are not "CHOIR" Practors, either. (One year, I sent out Christmas cards with a church choir on the front of the card. Inside it said, 'Merry Christmas from your Choir Practor.' I'm sure not everyone got the joke.)
Increasingly, however, our profession does use the term, Chiropractic Physician. Technically, that's not quite right either, but on the other technical hand, it is more correct than the other ridiculous-sounding names.
It's such a simple matter to use a dictionary and is one method I highly recommend when someone needs to use a term they may not be very familiar with... even if they just think they are.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Alternative Health could mean "do it yourself" after all
I want to tell you something that might save your life.
It's something that probably will never happen to you, but this story has some built-in lessons that could apply to other situations as well as the one described.
This will not be a lecture about eating right, losing weight, or getting regular checkups. This is about doing your homework. You see, most people are under a spell, created by all those authority figures in our lives who have led us to believe that there are smarter and better educated people around us who will always be there to take care of us if something goes wrong. All we have to do is call on the right one.
But it's a huge myth... a very dangerous myth.
And the biggest myth of all of them is the one about health. The largest percentage of our population has been thoroughly brainwashed to believe that the final answer to all things health-related can be solved or handled only by the medical profession.
But contrary to this popular myth, doctors are NOT gods. Get over that right now or you could easily become their next victim.
OK, here's what's happening... right now... as I write this: Someone I know very well has been exposed to the rabies virus.
We are both heavily involved in the animal care field and see animals in various stages of health, and often, in a state of disease. We are exposed to many risks, so it's just a matter time for the law of averages to catch up with us on something dangerous.
Dealing with unwanted, abandoned, abused, wild or otherwise compromised animals that will never make good pets leads us to have to make decisions, for the protection of the humans involved, or for the animals' own relief in some cases. This means some of them will be euthanized, and handling them during this time can be risky.
Exposure to rabies is one such problem. Wild animals, or abandoned pets that have supposedly gone wild, are very vulnerable to contracting this extremely fatal disease.
It affects all mammals (yes, you are a mammal, too), all over the world (except in those few locations that have eradicated it or have never had it).
Now here is where things become problematic. What would you do if your child had been exposed to the virus? Why, you'd go to the doctor or the hospital, right?
Why? Because you believe they will know what to do, right?
Well, try this on: What if they're WRONG? Or don't know what to do? My colleague could become a victim of our faulty health care system and could die. The only thing that has been done correctly so far, is that the animal has been tested and found positive for rabies.
Now that that has been established, the human victim, who I'll call Jane Doe for the sake of anonymity at her request, must undergo the dreaded rabies treatment.
One would think that a hospital would know what that means. One would think that a doctor would know, too. However, if they have only read about it in books during school, they probably won't know what to do in the real world.
Such is the case with Jane Doe at the moment. So far, she has been asked to go pick up the vaccine and bring it in so they can administer it.
She has been given the wrong vaccination schedule, which must be done correctly to get proper, life-saving results.
She had to call the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to get the correct information, which she printed off and took to the hospital to prove to them that they had misinformed her. Did they say thank you? Oh no... they are still angry that she has challenged their superior knowledge and abilities. Typical responses include: "Oh? What medical school did you go to?" and sarcastically, "Are you a doctor?" followed by a lot of heavy sighing and eye-rolling.
In effect they are saying, "What gives you the right to find out what's correct so you can save your own life?"
They finally gave her the first injection, but the second one is a different product and must be given at about the same time, or the first one is useless. The hospital is sorry, but they don't have access to that other product and don't know when it will be available.
The burden has been placed totally and squarely on Jane's own shoulders.
Now, the lesson here is this:
If you want your own scary health emergencies to come out right, you had better know what is going on and how it is correctly treated. If you have only some blind faith in one of those white-coated "gods" in your town, you might not come out alive.
In other words.... do your homework, people! Doctors are NOT gods. Neither are nurses. Wearing white with a stethoscope placed fashionably around the neck does not confer omniscience... or even the most basic competence.
Get over it now, or you could be sorry.
With the wealth of information available on the Internet now, there is NO excuse to remain ignorant. Medical people have always enjoyed intimidating people into submission and acceptance, and until now, that has been relatively easy. Now it's much harder, so expect them to try harder in putting you "in your place."
Bottom line: Do your homework, question anyone who wants to subject you to anything, and don't be afraid to stand up for what's right. Your life may depend on it! Really!
It's something that probably will never happen to you, but this story has some built-in lessons that could apply to other situations as well as the one described.
This will not be a lecture about eating right, losing weight, or getting regular checkups. This is about doing your homework. You see, most people are under a spell, created by all those authority figures in our lives who have led us to believe that there are smarter and better educated people around us who will always be there to take care of us if something goes wrong. All we have to do is call on the right one.
But it's a huge myth... a very dangerous myth.
And the biggest myth of all of them is the one about health. The largest percentage of our population has been thoroughly brainwashed to believe that the final answer to all things health-related can be solved or handled only by the medical profession.
But contrary to this popular myth, doctors are NOT gods. Get over that right now or you could easily become their next victim.
OK, here's what's happening... right now... as I write this: Someone I know very well has been exposed to the rabies virus.
We are both heavily involved in the animal care field and see animals in various stages of health, and often, in a state of disease. We are exposed to many risks, so it's just a matter time for the law of averages to catch up with us on something dangerous.
Dealing with unwanted, abandoned, abused, wild or otherwise compromised animals that will never make good pets leads us to have to make decisions, for the protection of the humans involved, or for the animals' own relief in some cases. This means some of them will be euthanized, and handling them during this time can be risky.
Exposure to rabies is one such problem. Wild animals, or abandoned pets that have supposedly gone wild, are very vulnerable to contracting this extremely fatal disease.
It affects all mammals (yes, you are a mammal, too), all over the world (except in those few locations that have eradicated it or have never had it).
Now here is where things become problematic. What would you do if your child had been exposed to the virus? Why, you'd go to the doctor or the hospital, right?
Why? Because you believe they will know what to do, right?
Well, try this on: What if they're WRONG? Or don't know what to do? My colleague could become a victim of our faulty health care system and could die. The only thing that has been done correctly so far, is that the animal has been tested and found positive for rabies.
Now that that has been established, the human victim, who I'll call Jane Doe for the sake of anonymity at her request, must undergo the dreaded rabies treatment.
One would think that a hospital would know what that means. One would think that a doctor would know, too. However, if they have only read about it in books during school, they probably won't know what to do in the real world.
Such is the case with Jane Doe at the moment. So far, she has been asked to go pick up the vaccine and bring it in so they can administer it.
She has been given the wrong vaccination schedule, which must be done correctly to get proper, life-saving results.
She had to call the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to get the correct information, which she printed off and took to the hospital to prove to them that they had misinformed her. Did they say thank you? Oh no... they are still angry that she has challenged their superior knowledge and abilities. Typical responses include: "Oh? What medical school did you go to?" and sarcastically, "Are you a doctor?" followed by a lot of heavy sighing and eye-rolling.
In effect they are saying, "What gives you the right to find out what's correct so you can save your own life?"
They finally gave her the first injection, but the second one is a different product and must be given at about the same time, or the first one is useless. The hospital is sorry, but they don't have access to that other product and don't know when it will be available.
The burden has been placed totally and squarely on Jane's own shoulders.
Now, the lesson here is this:
If you want your own scary health emergencies to come out right, you had better know what is going on and how it is correctly treated. If you have only some blind faith in one of those white-coated "gods" in your town, you might not come out alive.
In other words.... do your homework, people! Doctors are NOT gods. Neither are nurses. Wearing white with a stethoscope placed fashionably around the neck does not confer omniscience... or even the most basic competence.
Get over it now, or you could be sorry.
With the wealth of information available on the Internet now, there is NO excuse to remain ignorant. Medical people have always enjoyed intimidating people into submission and acceptance, and until now, that has been relatively easy. Now it's much harder, so expect them to try harder in putting you "in your place."
Bottom line: Do your homework, question anyone who wants to subject you to anything, and don't be afraid to stand up for what's right. Your life may depend on it! Really!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Which Alternative Health Care Method Should You Use?
As we become a more and more global community, we learn of each others' health care philosophies and experiences. And we can only benefit from this sharing of ideas and methodologies.
There is no one particular health care method that solves all problems for all individuals, but rather, a comprehensive approach can be seen to achieve the greatest good by embracing as many protocols as may be necessary for a particular situation or condition.
Medically, the "shoot the attacker" approach to health care is really only a "shoot the messenger" philosophy.
Symptoms are "treated," when using a medical approach. But addressing causes is the only truly effective method that can return a failing body to a state of normalcy, or well-being.
There is no one particular health care method that solves all problems for all individuals, but rather, a comprehensive approach can be seen to achieve the greatest good by embracing as many protocols as may be necessary for a particular situation or condition.
Medically, the "shoot the attacker" approach to health care is really only a "shoot the messenger" philosophy.
Symptoms are "treated," when using a medical approach. But addressing causes is the only truly effective method that can return a failing body to a state of normalcy, or well-being.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Just What is Alternative Health Care?
According to the dictionary, "alternative" means "choice."
Theoretically, then, alternative health care means we have many methods and fields of practice from which to choose. However, within the mainstream traditional medical community, the philosophy is that "alternative" means unorthodox - or perhaps even quackery.
They forget that they once were considered quacks themselves. Dentistry was performed by barbers, and only midwives delivered babies. Surgeons proudly wore smears of blood on their gowns from the day's line-up of patients, and bathing was considered wasteful and unhealthy.
The medical profession has come a long way since then, and they have accomplished much in the way of effective disease management, surgical technique, and development of a vast documentation of health conditions. Their research has been, and continues to be, unequalled in depth and breadth.
However, it's still primarily one-sided. The official position is that current medical care and thinking are singularly responsible for all health care - or should be. Alternative, or "other" choices for health care are to be avoided, shunned, eliminated if possible, and at the least, discredited as the useless babbling of charlatans and con artists only out for money. (Has anyone checked the latest costs for hospitalization... or drugs.... or office visits lately?)
But we live in the Information Age now, and it's becoming little excuse to claim ignorance of other methods of caring for ourselves, our families, and our friends.
Theoretically, then, alternative health care means we have many methods and fields of practice from which to choose. However, within the mainstream traditional medical community, the philosophy is that "alternative" means unorthodox - or perhaps even quackery.
They forget that they once were considered quacks themselves. Dentistry was performed by barbers, and only midwives delivered babies. Surgeons proudly wore smears of blood on their gowns from the day's line-up of patients, and bathing was considered wasteful and unhealthy.
The medical profession has come a long way since then, and they have accomplished much in the way of effective disease management, surgical technique, and development of a vast documentation of health conditions. Their research has been, and continues to be, unequalled in depth and breadth.
However, it's still primarily one-sided. The official position is that current medical care and thinking are singularly responsible for all health care - or should be. Alternative, or "other" choices for health care are to be avoided, shunned, eliminated if possible, and at the least, discredited as the useless babbling of charlatans and con artists only out for money. (Has anyone checked the latest costs for hospitalization... or drugs.... or office visits lately?)
But we live in the Information Age now, and it's becoming little excuse to claim ignorance of other methods of caring for ourselves, our families, and our friends.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Free Report on Chiropractic
I wrote this report not too long ago and would like to share it with you. It's a brief, but I hope concise, background on how chiropractic started and evolved into what we use today.
I believe chiropractic is the premier form of "alternative health care" and has some of the most amazing benefits to our healthy lifestyles as anything else you can do.
Of course, being healthy has more to to do with a comprehensive approach to life, which can include proper diet, exercise, attitude and many other forms of alternative lifestyle changes. And I will bring many of those up as this column progresses... or as I have time, I should say.
But today, please feel free to download my report on chiropractic. It's called A Brief History and Philosophy of Chiropractic. (Right click to download, left click to open.)
I believe chiropractic is the premier form of "alternative health care" and has some of the most amazing benefits to our healthy lifestyles as anything else you can do.
Of course, being healthy has more to to do with a comprehensive approach to life, which can include proper diet, exercise, attitude and many other forms of alternative lifestyle changes. And I will bring many of those up as this column progresses... or as I have time, I should say.
But today, please feel free to download my report on chiropractic. It's called A Brief History and Philosophy of Chiropractic. (Right click to download, left click to open.)
Friday, December 28, 2007
Alternative Health Questions answered here
Welcome to my new blog where you can feel free to ask questions or offer comments about any health issues. It doesn't mean I have all the answers... not sure anyone does... but I have a lot of experience working with people over the last 30 years or so, as we pursued different ways to achieve better health, focusing, of course, on natural means. My background as a chiropractor has provided me with an educational perspective for the natural approaches, and my years in practice have given me firsthand experience with results, responses and reactions from people (plus a few animals...no, not experiments... my pets).
I have always tried to be diplomatic and usually found myself treading lightly around current, traditional methods and beliefs so as not to irritate or annoy anyone. But I'm retired now, so it doesn't matter so much anymore. If anything I say annoys you, you know what to do. It's called clicking to another site. But I would suggest, rather, that any "new" ideas be investigated before being tossed as trash. One thing I've noticed in the last 30 years is that many procedures or concepts introduced by alternative doctors, such as chiropractors... including myself... are now considered mainstream. Funny how we thought of those things first, but now that the "real" doctors say it's OK, it's finally OK.
From time to time, I will also tell you about the latest health news, as I hear about it, and I'll also tell you about some interesting, fantastic or just plain useful stuff you might want to look into for yourself.
See you here again soon!
I have always tried to be diplomatic and usually found myself treading lightly around current, traditional methods and beliefs so as not to irritate or annoy anyone. But I'm retired now, so it doesn't matter so much anymore. If anything I say annoys you, you know what to do. It's called clicking to another site. But I would suggest, rather, that any "new" ideas be investigated before being tossed as trash. One thing I've noticed in the last 30 years is that many procedures or concepts introduced by alternative doctors, such as chiropractors... including myself... are now considered mainstream. Funny how we thought of those things first, but now that the "real" doctors say it's OK, it's finally OK.
From time to time, I will also tell you about the latest health news, as I hear about it, and I'll also tell you about some interesting, fantastic or just plain useful stuff you might want to look into for yourself.
See you here again soon!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)