AJCC October 2000
If you haven't read Palmer - How Do You Know Chiropractic???
By R.J. Hammet, D.C.
Most
of my life, I’ve been a controversial sort of guy. But nothing brings
out the jerk in me more than any D.C. speaking about chiropractic
without ever reading one single book by the Palmers!!!
First, I did not graduate from Palmer, I went to Life. Second, I
do not necessarily agree with everything the Palmers had to say. But how
ignorant we can be when yapping about chiropractic, and never knowing
five of the thirty-three principles of the very profession you call
yourself a member of. If you’re so smart, why don’t you start your
own profession, watch it attacked from every side and from within, and
continue to fight, research and believe in it just the same. This is
what the Palmers did to keep chiropractic alive!
No one is in a position to question chiropractic with any
justice, until one has thoroughly studied it. I’m not asking you to
read all of Palmer’s books (D.D. and B.J.), but begin to realize that
those who practiced before you survived on a sound principle, a science,
philosophy and art that they proved every day in private practice.
In courts, time and again, I have witnessed chiropractors, or IME
doctors never mention the word subluxation, Innate Intelligence or
anything closely resembling anything other than a physical medical
doctor’s testimony. At a recent seminar, the speaker suggested, never
to use vertebral subluxation complex in your diagnosis, nor mention any
of the chiropractic philosophy in court. My, we’ve come a long way . .
. . . the majority of court cases supporting chiropractic are based on
how different we are from medicine, not similar. Yet, visit ten
chiropractors’ offices and you would be hard pressed to ever know you
were seeing a chiropractor.
Face it, you’re different in a different profession, if you
don’t like it, leave, or learn about our history, our founding
principles, read Stephenson’s chiropractic text first, and then D.D.
Palmer’s books to start. The reflect on your practice, your
examination, and your recommendations for care. Do they mirror
correcting the subluxations you have found, or are they just fixing
abnormal orthopedic tests or ADL’s? What business or profession are
you in? How do you know? How do your patients know?? Yes, we need more
research on the components of the vertebral subluxation complex. Yes, we
need more fellowships in our profession, but first and foremost, each
D.C. must study and know the basis from which our profession started
from.
Your homework; with a tape recorder in front of you.
Describe chiropractic as if speaking to a potential new patient.
Describe subluxations like you would to a patient. Now, listen to the
tape on the way home. Does your voice convey conviction? Does it sound
like you know what you’re talking about? What’s your voice tone
like?
I personally found those who know chiropractic, because they’ve
spent the time learning our history and the principles of chiropractic,
speak with authority and have the knowledge of knowing, that they know,
what they know. Those who don’t, rely on something some chiropractic
teacher told them in college. (Remember, that’s the teacher who never
practiced or failed in practice.)
Yes, it’s time to hit the books again, but do you really need
to learn another orthopedic test, or do you need a better understanding
of the business you are in? Ignorance loves company, just look at some
of the IME doctor’s statements like “not medically necessary,”
interesting, I thought we were chiropractors? Have you read a good green
book lately?
‘Til next time . . .
Back to CBP® OnLine
CONTENTS
Biomechanical & Neuro responses to Adjustment
Communicating From the Inside Out
Normal Values in Anatomy, Physiology, Disease and Chiropractic
Ambulatory Translational Traction
Percutaneous Radiofrequency Neurotomy...