I’ve had the chance to talk back and forth with Dr. John Goodfellow through my blog and Facebook from time to time.
One thing that has always struck me is how he sticks to his training and focuses on that. I’ve also received some good advice from him at times, which I do appreciate.
I’m grateful he took time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions for The Atlas of Life.
Dr. Harshe: What was your first experience with chiropractic?
Dr. Goodfellow: “My first experience with Chiropractic came after I entered Chiropractic School. I was looking for a secondary form of education. I planned to go into neurology after it became apparent that going to medical school directly out of undergrad was not a possibility. My Grandfather, Great Grandfather and Great-Great Grandfather were all medical doctors. It skipped my Father and I was the heir apparent.
That was not to be. I received a number of pieces of literature from different chiropractic schools after signing up for neurology literature. I knew absolutely nothing of Chiropractic. While telling the woman cutting my hair at the time about my possible Chiropractic aspirations, she suggested I go see the local DC as he was quite popular. He related his story of being left for dead as a newborn and an upper cervical adjustment saved him.
He and his wife took us to his alma mater, Palmer. I liked it immediately. I also figured if Palmer was the birthplace of Chiropractic, I should go there.
My first experience entailed adjustments from a Gonstead upper trimester student. When he went on late preceptor, I was handed to another student who was interested in honing his upper cervical skills. He took a PUC series and adjusted me from the right. My mild hypertension reduced and my wrists stop hurting. As most patients, I stopped after my pain was gone. I soon found out that this was a mistake. I later learned that Chiropractic was not the treatment of symptoms or disease.
I was further handed to a Dr. Crowder Intern and continued working with Crowder Interns until I graduated.
I was handed my first excerpt from a Green Book by Dr. Sherry Borer – an upper cervical chiropractor in Saline Michigan. She is the person that really turned me on to TIC. Later, Dr. Rob Sinnott filled that role in a profound way as did my mentor, Dr. Crowder.”
Dr. Harshe: What chiropractic college did you go to and why? Would you recommend it to prospective chiropractic students?
Dr. Goodfellow: “I attended Palmer Davenport. I think above explains why. I continue to recommend Palmer. I don’t know of another place where you can find the history of TIC, the personification of TIC and the ability to apply TIC like Palmer.
Dr. Harshe: Can you tell us about your training with Dr. E.L. “Bud” Crowder?
Dr. Goodfellow: “I first saw Dr. Crowder during my second trimester. I was taking the last Erhardt Radiology seminar and Dr. Crowder often attended. When he entered the room, I noticed something different. He was one of those men that people immediately noticed when he walked in the room. I then became acquainted with Dr. Crowder Interns through the student clinic and found myself on his Sunday Session list and his intern list. I didn’t enter his intern program until my seventh trimester. So, I had exactly one year in his office.
Dr. Crowder taught us to be an extension of him in the process of checking a patient. We learned how to record patient findings in their file. We then learned Chirometer followed by Spinal Balance Checking. After we checked out on supine leg checks, we graduated on to NCGH readings. Following NCGH readings, we were taught to set the patient up in the posture constant chair. If we were allowed to stay long enough, we had the opportunity to set patients up for an adjustment and assist with spinographs.
He did not directly teach us toggle recoil or x-ray analysis or anything clinically about upper cervical. All that we learned came from his questions and watching him. I was further educated by Dr. Crowder following his death.
In 2002, I was asked to help in his office. I had the opportunity to review hundreds and hundreds of files. I witnessed how Dr. Crowder made choices in patient care. I followed his x-ray analysis. I followed graphs and when adjustments were made and more importantly, when they were not.
Although I learned so much while Dr. Crowder was alive, my Chiropractic Mentality was such that I learned significantly more after his passing.
Dr. Harshe: How long have you been in practice and what has that experience been like?
Dr. Goodfellow: “I graduated from Palmer February 1998. I assumed a small practice from another Palmer Graduate who had been out for one year in September 1998. It was an interesting experience converting people from full spine to upper cervical specific. It also gave me a great perspective about the power of upper cervical chiropractic.
I left that office space approximately one year later entering another to then leave that one about a year later to enter a third space. After a few months, I entered another space and then one year after that I took on Dr. John Whaley’s office. He retired after 45 years in practice.
One year after that, Dr. Crowder took ill and passed. I was asked to come and help in his office. That was August 2002. December 18, 2008 we closed Dr. Crowder’s office. I estimate I added 10 years of clinical experience after my first year seeing Dr. Crowder’s patients. I poured over 100’s of files. I looked at more x-rays then you can imagine. I took my knowledge and determined how Dr. Crowder did his analysis.
You may recall, he didn’t teach us anything directly. I’ve had the opportunity to care for people sixty or more years under Specific Chiropractic Care. The majority of my ongoing patients have been under care for a minimum of 15 years and many more than that. I’ve been described as the youngest Chiropractic dinosaur in practice.”
Dr. Harshe: What are some of the most unusual cases you have come across in practice?
Dr. Goodfellow: “Two weeks ago I had a diagnosed case of vocal cord paralysis. The patient whispered coming in and had significantly more voice leaving. Further MRI, CT and scoping of the throat revealed no pathology and a working right vocal cord. The only intervention was a specific cervical adjustment.
My fist patient was one of mention. He was in his late 80’s and had much more confidence in me than I did. I sent him to Dr. Whaley for x-rays as I didn’t have a machine yet. Dr. Whaley told me it was the worst neck he ever saw. But, I did what we do, I used an NCM to determine pattern. I determined a listing from the x-rays. I adjusted when pattern was present. A man that looked at the floor started to look me in the eyes after a few visits. He taught me that there is no case that does not have the potential to gain something from Chiropractic – and that the Specific Cervical System is sound and should be used.”
Dr. Harshe: You knew Dr. Mary Ann Pruitt. Can you tell us what it was like learning from her?
Dr. Goodfellow: “I had the opportunity to visit with Dr. Pruitt a few days with Dr. Rob Sinnott. She was steadfast in her knowledge of Chiropractic and its application. I learned how to take a proper protracto view and determine the correct angles from the base posterior as well as the lateral.
I learned a much different version of Blair than what is currently taught. I learned four listings of atlas. Only her Daddy adjusted C2. She was using the Palmer Upper Cervical System of analysis. She incorporated the Blair views and modified toggle recoil.
She did not use leg checks as she did not believe they offered any value. I recall calling her one afternoon after taking a Blair course. I asked her about side opposite adjusting. Her response was, “What did you say? If it is an ASR, why would you adjust from the left?” She told me to keep it simple.”
Dr. Harshe: What do you envision for the future of Upper Cervical Chiropractic?
Dr. Goodfellow: “I think you have to define what you mean by “Upper Cervical Chiropractic.” In my estimation, there is a significant amount of talk and very little walk in the upper cervical world.
I had the great pleasure and honor of working with the last director of the BJPCC. I met the likes of Dr. Leonard Rutherford, Dr. Galen Price, and Dr. Mary Ann Pruitt. I’ve also had a decade of conversations with Dr. Rob Sinnott. Perhaps these experiences provide a different view of what upper cervical chiropractic or specific cervical chiropractic demands.
True upper cervical is about the system of arriving at a conclusion about the subluxation status of an individual. It is less about the application of force. Yet, there are reasons why certain methods of applying force may be more advantageous than others.
The subluxation exists between C0-C1-C2-C3. The effects of that subluxation can be seen in a host of other places in the human body. The system determined to provide the highest degree of subluxation detection is bilateral spinal tempometry, single probe bilateral styloid fossa reading, specific spinography and spinal balance testing (supine leg length inequality test). These tests provide the necessary information for making decisions regarding a persons’ subluxation status.
Within the last decade or two, ‘upper cervical chiropractic’ has removed vital pieces from the analysis of the subluxation. They have given in to mechanism over vitalism. They have given up on Innate, the Chiropractic Adjustment and Subluxation in lieu of more mundane terms like ‘correction’ and ‘head-neck misalignment’. Upper Cervical Chiropractic had been the last bastion of Chiropractic Philosophy. That is no longer the case.
I can’t begin to tell you how excited I was to see the DVD come out called “the power of upper cervical”. What a shame that so many so called upper cervical chiropractors don’t understand that power.
I envision Chiropractors looking to the past to secure the future. It is the Chiropractic Philosophy which provides the passion seen in real Chiropractic offices. It is the Specific Adjustment and knowing when to and when not to that allows Chiropractic and Specific Upper Cervical Chiropractic to offer hope.
Anyone can move a bone with an instrument or their hand – only a skilled Chiropractor can offer a life altering ADJUSTMENT!”
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Great interview! Dr. Goodfellow is a fountain of Upper Cervical knowledge, and is a valuable resource for chiropractic students.
Awesome! Use the power!
Picking up where a lifetime of knowledge leaves off and continuing that work creates high level services. It is nice to read a master’s story,
Thank you.
This was a great interview! Love it!
Dr. Goodfellow is a vanishing breed. Dr. Crowder would have been very proud of what he has become. He is a Chiropractic gentleman. He is out for the profession, not himself. You will notice he credits others and deflects his due praise. Others you could name tell you about themselves constantly and do nothing for the profession. This is a major difference between the greats of BJ’s era and those projecting their own greatness so often today. Dr. Crowder had told me that this group (sadly, of increasing size) is selling from an empty cart. John is one of the VERY few doing BJ’s final work. There is not a single seminar in the world teaching it today. A young Chiropractor (the big “C” kind) would do well to seek to learn from Dr. Goodfellow and the very few others remaining before it is lost.
He knew to learn from those who worked first hand with the primary source and has spent his entire career of service to his patients working to amass this knowledge.
Great to see an interview done which highlights a fine example for the rest of us.
I spent a short period of time (a few days here and there) while in my latter trimesters at Palmer shadowing Dr Goodfellow. A great man and Chiropractor. If I understood then what I do now I would have pursued taking over/purchasing Dr Crowder’s old practice.
Great interview. I am inspired by Dr. Goodfellow.