I subscribe to a number of RSS (really simple syndication) feeds as a way to make sure we publish all the news that may affect you and your practice. It seems that at least once a week for the last couple of months, I’ve been seeing press releases from the notorious anti-chiropractic group that is active on the eastern seaboard.
This group has been active for several years. It has put up billboards, plastered advertising on the sides of buses, and bought television advertising. Worse — it keeps feeding the popular press with sensational press releases. Some newspapers and, more recently, television stations that are notorious for reporting biased “journalism” take delight in “warning” the public about the safety of chiropractic.
I put “journalism” in quotes because I do not consider these biased reports to be journalism. A journalist would make every attempt to provide a balanced story. The articles that have appeared in print and on TV are far from balanced.
When I see the propaganda spread by this anti-chiropractic group, I am reminded of the blackballing efforts made by the American Medical Association in the 1960s — efforts that the courts made illegal with a permanent injunction as the result of the landmark Wilk vs. the AMA case. I grew up in the era when the AMA called chiropractic quakery and forbade its members from associating with DCs. It took the education I have acquired as editor of this magazine to learn the truth about chiropractic. What if I had not become editor of Chiropractic Economics? Would I be harboring prejudices against this noble profession?
I just hired a new assistant editor. As part of his training and education, I gave him a copy of Chester Wilk’s book, Medicine, Monopolies and Malice. If you have not read the book, do it now. If you have not read it for years, it’s time to read it again — to take a refresher course on the hard journey chiropractic has had to take to get to where it is now. (I hope this book is on the required-reading list of all chiropractic students.)
Perhaps Dr. Wilk’s words will inspire you to fight back and support the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (www.F4CP.com), which is valiantly trying to educate Americans about the value of chiropractic, or get involved in your state and national chiropractic association. Strength is in numbers.
The anti-chiropractic group is hoping its yellow journalism will taint everyone against chiropractic. We can’t let that happen.
Until next time,
March 10th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Linda,
I was not aware of the importance of a properly aligned spine and a fully functioning nerve system until I was nearly 40 years old. Since I came to understand what chiropractic is and the wide reaching benefits of maintaining a healthy spine, I have been a patient ever since, along with my wife, 4 children and all of my closest friends. You see, once people hear the truth about the importance of the spine, it is hard to ignore.
The problem is, the story is not being told. The public has no idea why the spine is important to their health. Consumers must place a value on the correction and detection of spinal problems if chiropractic is to ever take its rightful place in the hearts and minds of the public. In order for this to happen, we must educate the health care consumer on the importance of the spine. To promote chiropractic, we must promote spinal health.
Chiropractors maintain the integrity of the spine in its role as protector of the brain stem, spinal cord and nerve roots. Yet the average consumer has no idea that the brain stem, spinal cord and nerve roots play any part in their day to day health. Nor are they aware of the myriad health benefits of a fully functioning nerve system. In fact, most do not know that chiropractic has anything to do with health, beyond the treatment of back pain. And they certainly are not aware that chiropractors have stood steadfastly against the overuse of prescription medications for over one hundred years.
The best defense against bad publicity is an even larger amount of positive publicity. When BJ Palmer was promoting chiropractic, the two most widely utilized methods of communication where radio and print. BJ owned a radio station and a print shop.
Today, people get their information from the media and the internet. Chiropractic is poorly represented in both of these mediums. Until we change that and run a long range, sustainable program that presents chiropractic, or more specifically spinal health information to those in need of care in the places they are receptive to new information: the mainstream media and via the internet, chiropractic will remain misunderstood and under utilized.