Once upon a time there was a grocer who thought he had found a wondrous way to cure the sick. “Press the backbone,” he declared, “and all dis-ease will vanish!” Others clamored for his secret. For a fee, he taught them. Soon, backbone-pressers spread throughout the land making wild claims that they could cure everyone.
This may sound like a fairy tale, but it is much more.
When chiropractic began in 1895, it had plenty of outlandish company. Bleeding, purging, and leeching have since disappeared. Osteopathy has taken a scientific direction and is today recognized as a medical discipline. Chiropractic remains as the only major legally sanctioned “treatment” method not based on science.
To the average person, chiropractic can appear very attractive. Chiropractors are licensed as doctors. Their schools are being accredited. They are covered by Medicare and many other third-party carriers. Most of them are sincere and personable. But are they doctors? Can a house be built without a foundation?
Peter J. Modde, D.C., once a true believer, now feels obligated to warn the public of chiropractic’s dangers. He calls chiropractic theory a delusion.
His colleagues are not pleased with him. The American Chiropractic Association has expelled him. His malpractice insurance has been cancelled and his license has been under attack [1].
In 1969, a book I read about chiropractic [2] angered me deeply. How dare these people pretend to be doctors! I formed a group to take action against questionable health practices, the Lehigh Valley Committee Against Health Fraud, Inc. After collecting a mountain of information, we published a book of our own [3] and started an information clearinghouse.
When confronted by science, chiropractors have a particularly interesting defense: “Let’s not quibble about how scientific we are. We can’t be as bad as you say. Look at our low malpractice insurance rates! If we were so dangerous, how could that be?”
But a major factor in their low insurance rates has been lack of expert testimony. Who but a chiropractor could tell a jury what is meant by the chiropractic “standard of care”? A conspiracy of silence has been an important pillar supporting chiropractic.
Three years ago, Peter Modde began attacking that pillar. He is a man of courage and conviction, and I wish him well.
References
- Mattera M. A chiropractor blows the whistle on his colleagues. Medical Economics, June 26, 1978.
- Smith RL. At Your Own Risk: The Case Against Chiropractic. Simon & Schuster, New York, 1969.
- Barrett S. Knight G (editors). The Health Robbers: How to Protect Your Money and Your Life. George F. Stickley Co., Philadelphia, 1976.
