This is the first Wednesday I have not posted an interview or an interview-related blog post since the first week or two of this site. But there is a reason.
In case you might have wondered, the post “Medipractic in the Mile High City” by Dr. Moses Bernard was removed from The Atlas of Life indefinitely.
Let me just say that this blog is not meant to cause anyone harm or problems in doing their job. There are some clinic faculty doctors at Parker College who really do go the extra mile in helping interns graduate. My clinic experience at Parker was great because I had a clinic doctor just like this. I have the utmost respect for these doctors, which ultimately factored into my decision in removing that particular blog post. Had it been a philosophical or political difference of opinion, I wouldn’t have touched it. But I don’t want anyone to have difficulty in doing their job because of it. I know Dr. Moses feels the same way.
When D.D. Palmer discovered chiropractic, it was intended to be the very antithesis of medicine. He wanted no part of the medical community. He intended for chiropractic to be a separate and distinct discipline altogether. His son, B.J. Palmer carried this mindset forward into the twentieth century, developing chiropractic with his innovations i.e. spinographs (x-rays), HIO, etc. Chiropractors that followed B.J.’s line of thinking, whether upper cervical or full spine, called themselves “straights.”
There has always been a branch within chiropractic that had no love for the Palmers or their philosophy of chiropractic, not to mention their love for the eclectic methods of treating patients. These “chiropractors” were medical in their mindset and have continued on to this day to make up a vast majority of the chiropractic profession i.e. the ACA, CCE, etc. They are often referred to by straights as “mixers.”
For some reason, the ACA has moved to the forefront of the chiropractic political landscape. Because of that, it was instrumental in the creation of the CCE. Considering the ACA is primarily a medically-oriented chiropractic organization, the CCE followed their lead and instituted its own criteria for chiropractic school accreditation.
Among this accreditation is no mandate whatsoever for straight chiropractic to be taught. All because it is not “evidence-based.” When it comes to evidence-based, how much more evidence do you need to relate brain stem function to a specific atlas adjustment than the NUCCA-hypertension study? I know one well known Irene Gold Board Review instructor told students that upper cervical doctors don’t really affect brain stem function at a recent board review session, but he obviously missed that study altogether.
A small number of schools teach some actual chiropractic techniques beyond gross manipulation. But even that is suspect. Just think what it would be like to learn toggle from an Activator doctor. That’s how it is at Parker. I’m grateful I was at least exposed to it. Just check the sidebar to the right of this post. Parker is one of the five chiropractic schools I recommend because of that. However, getting someone with REAL upper cervical experience (specific x-rays, instrumentation, specific adjusting, office flow of an upper cervical clinic) would be ideal.
Instead, most chiropractic students at most chiropractic schools are subject only to learning gross spinal manipulation and rudimentary diagnostic skills. I’ll be honest, my diagnostic skills are not the best. But I didn’t go to chiropractic school to be a diagnostician. I went to chiropractic school to learn how to detect and correct vertebral subluxations.
Funny how I didn’t learn that in school. It’s all about listening to lung fields and hitting high spots. Finding high spots and popping them back into place is where D.D. Palmer started. 114 years later, that’s where chiropractic has returned.
These are the kinds of things that gave me cause for starting this blog. I was tired of learning nothing but medipractic in school and this website became my outlet. It has turned into something a little bigger than I imagined, and for that I am grateful.
Despite the philosophical and political difference of opinion in chiropractic, when it comes down to helping chiropractic students graduate, we’re on the same side. I do not intend for this blog to hinder those doctors that truly bend over backward to help students/interns graduate.
We’re on the same page there.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for this Brandon
The path of least resistance makes both rivers and men crooked.
Dr. B.J. Palmer
I like you. You stand for chiropractic. I hope you stay that way. I graduated from Life west in 1992 and didn’t learn chiropractic there either. I learned chiropractic by reading the green books, all of them over and over. Then I met up with Clarence Jenson D.C. He was a salty old guy who defended chiropractic until the end. He learned HIO directly from B.J. and worked in B.J’s private clinic and clearview sanitarium. He took me under his wing and taught me everything he could for 5 years. Perfecting every aspect of HIO. I had heard about him because people were getting well of cancer with him. I saw it with my own eyes. The chiropractic colleges do not teach the students how to correct a subluxation. The work of B.J needs to be passed on, we can’t let this get lost. Dr. Jenson was afraid that it would be lost and I promissed him I would pass it on to others. I will teach anyone what I know. If anyone is interested call me at (707)823-9355 come to Sebastopol Ca. and learn what B.J developed. I don’t claim to be anyone special, I just want to see this work passed down to the next generation.Sincerely Rich Doble
Thanks Dr. Doble. I appreciate your comment.
Great post babe!
It is unfortunate that the schools are forced to teach what they are. I was lucky enough to have had a Chiropractor that changed my life, and taught me the value of Chiropractic, and expression of life. I am grateful that young Chiropractors like yourself are helping to fight the fight and protect the scared trust. Great post Brandon. I look forward to following you. Scott