I’m not a farmer, so I’m not up on all the practices and regulations
regarding manure spreading, but I’m pretty sure you’re not
supposed to stuff it into people’s newspaper and mail delivery
boxes. That calls into question the mystery material the Antigo
Daily Journal prints in its occasional “Family/Primetime” tabloid
insert.
First question: Are these things articles, or ads? Who gets paid,
and who does the paying? There are no “This is an advertisement”
disclaimers, but they sure look like ads, to me.
Next, whether its an ad or a “legitimate” article, isn’t someone
supposed to be in charge of maintaining the Truth? There are some
“truthiness” problems in ADJ’s February 2010 issue of “Primetime”
in Amy Stuber’s article “Elmininating stubborn childhood ear
infections”. Let’s take a look.
Skip the generic Wikipedia stuff covering acute otitis media in the
first 2/3 of the article, and go to the paragraph with the lead, “As a
holisitic health care profession, chiropractic doesn’t believe in
writing prescriptions after prescription for the treatment of AOM”.
Well, that’s understandable, because chiropractors CAN’T WRITE
PRESCRIPTIONS. But Amy doesn’t tell us that.
Then, in discussing “more of a preventative approach to AOM”, Amy
explains, “This lifestyle centers on the correction of dysfunctional
areas in the spine called vertebral subluxations.” Newsflash: only
chiropractors call it “subluxation”. No one else can detect “vertebral
subluxations”, or see them on x-rays or CT or MRI scans. Vertebral
subluxations are an imaginary artifact invented by chiropractors.
The have exactly as much scientific validity as Santa Claus’s flying
reindeer, or a palm reader’s interpretation of the signifance of the
“life line” on your hand.
Then we have a little indirection. Amy asserts “researchers stated
that spinal manipulation resulted in fewer episodes of AOM…” etc.,
quoting the source “Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, 2003″. I looked it up.
You can too. It’s titled, “The Use of Osteopathic Manipulative
Treatment as Adjuvant Therapy in Children With Recurrent Acute
Otitis Media”, at
http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/157/9/861
Nothing in the abstract about spinal manipulations, vertebral
subluxations, or even chiropractors! The study used the services of
a doctor of osteopathy, a field involving the manipulation of joints
and the tissues surrounding them, for instance the
temporomandibular joint, your jawbone’s connection to the head,
which is in direct proximity to the eustacheon tube whose
inflammation and swelling is at the core of AOM. In other words, we
seem to be talking about manipulation of the actual offending
sturctures directly! No distant adjustments to correct dysfunctional
“vertebral subluxations” here, folks! I don’t have access to the
complete study, but would be happy to read and analyze the
detailed original for you if Amy would provide it to me… if she has
it… or ever read it.
Finally, the real corker. Amy claims, “In a study of 46 children, all
under the age of five, 93 percent recovered with chiropractic
intervention alone.” Impressive, but totally unsubstantiated. Even
though Amy did not cite the source for this one, I looked it up (I
have my ways…). The abstract for R. M. Froehle’s “Ear infection: a
retrospective study examining improvement from chiropractic care
and analyzing for influencing factors” is at
http://www.mdconsult.com/das/citation/body/182494952-2/jorg=jo
urnal&source=MI&sp=837971&sid=0/N/837971/1.html?issn=
The “study” is a retrospection. That means cherry-picking the data
from existing treatment records instead of designing a scientific
study carefully, with controls and double-blind structure, deliberately to get relevant results. Treatment, from the study’s abstract:
“INTERVENTION: All treatments were done by a single chiropractor,
who adjusted the subluxations found and paid particular attention to
the cervical vertebrae and occiput. Sacral Occipital Technique-style
pelvic blocking and the doctor’s own modified applied kinesiology
were also used.”
Head-twisting and pelvic blocking and “the doctor’s own modified
applied kinesiology”, to “adjust” imaginary “vertebral subluxations”,
all for treating ear aches which usually resolve themselves. If they
don’t resolve, they could require prescription antibiotics and perhaps surgery, neither of which can be provided by chiropractors.
The Conclusion from the abstract: “CONCLUSION: Although there
were several limitations to this study (mostly because of its
retrospection but also, significantly, because very little data was
found regarding the natural course of ear infections), this study’s
data indicate that limitation of medical intervention and the addition
of chiropractic care may decrease the symptoms of ear infection
in young children.” Wrap your head around that one… just don’t
twist your neck while you’re doing it.
Here’s an explanation from a blog article tracking a lawsuit by the
British Chiropractic Association (BCA) against a critic,
http://gimpyblog.wordpress.com/2009/06/ – “The BCA claim that
Froehle RM (1996) shows that ‘93% of all episodes improved. The
study’s data indicates that … the addition of chiropractic care may
decrease the symptoms of ear infection in young children’. The
study has no control group and is little more than a collection of
case notes on the duration of ear infection, of which the author
notes ‘very little data was found regarding the natural course of
ear infections’. Therefore the study says nothing about the impact
of chiropractic care on the duration of ear infection compared to
the natural course of healing but it does say infections get better
over time. This is not evidence supporting the use of chiropractic
care in ear infection so much as supporting evidence for the old
adage that time heals all wounds.”
In other words, the study, and Amy Stuber’s handling of the
references and facts, are little more than bovine excrement, brought
to you by the Antigo Daily Journal’s manure wagon, polished and
buffed and offered up as factual health care information. Hey! Watch
where you step, there!
—-
Very thorough information. I am just curious if you are a Chiropractor yourself?
Me, a chiropractor? No. I wouldn’t set foot in a chiropractor’s office. Check out the info on Antigo native Scott Tatro’s web site, and follow the links under “Chiropractic Adjustments”, and you’ll adopt my example. See http://scottslockedin.com
The Simon Singh case in Great Britain came about when the British Chiropractic Association took umbrage to the use of the word “bogus” in the article reprinted here: http://quackfiles.blogspot.com/2008/10/beware-spinal-trap-simon-singh.html
Instead of folding up, Singh fought back. BCA was eventually forced to back up their claim that they had evidence to show the effectiveness of treatment of ear aches, colic, and asthma by so-called “pediatric” spinal manipulation. They provided 29 citations, including the Froehle mess that Stuber cited, as referenced above. Within hours of the BCA publication of citations, researchers had demolished their validity. Ten of the citations actually had nothing to do with chiropractic, several of them weren’t even studies, and the rest were so desperately flawed that they couldn’t qualify as “research” by accepted scientific standards.
The BCA’s court case has opened a can of spineless worms. Activists began challenging chiropractors’ advertising throughout the country. Now one out four of the chiropractors in Great Britain are now being investigated by the Advertising Standards Authority for making misleading claims about their practices.
Update: BCA just folded its tent, and withdrew its case. See
http://www.elyplace.com/index.aspx?p=1&articleId=208
With no evidence to support its side of the case, the BCA had to quit. So it looks like Singh’s assertion that the British Chiropractic Association “happily promotes bogus treatments”, with regard to treating otitis media and other pediatric health issues, stands unchallenged. In other words, Singh was right. The BCA, who brought the slander case against Singh, will now have to pay Singh’s legal fees.
It just doesn’t quit with these guys from Gress Chiropractic. A pumpkin-orange chiro-ad flyer insert in the ADJ a couple of days ago had a cutesy-theme “The Truth Revealed About Local Doctor” headline. The text, at least, was apparently not plagiarized. That’s the good news.
The bad news is that Matt McCabe claims, “And now, people come to me with their headaches, chronic pain, neck pain, whiplash, backaches, leg pains, ear infections, asthma, allergies, numbness, athletic injuries, just to name a few.” The assertion here is that McCabe, with his magical chiropractic spinal adjustment powers, can successfully treat these ailments, even ear infections, asthma, and allergies.
That, as the title of this blog points out, is a load of crap. There is no credible evidence — none — that chiropractic adjustments benefit ear infections, asthma, and allergies. Got any scientific proof, McCabe? Let’s see it.
Don’t knock it til u try it. Chiro care is not for everyone, however, it cures the problems my family and i have without taking pills. No it doesnt work or everything or everybody, neither does going to the doctor all the time. And yes, he does have magic fingers, i’ve tried numerous chiros here in town and he is the only one who has give relief to my pains.
“live here”, I don’t doubt that chiro works for you. Faith healing works for some folks, to. So does reflexology, copper bracelets, magnets in shoes, and palm reading. That it “works” for some people doesn’t make any of that stuff valid.
What I doubt is the evidence for the effectiveness of such health care entertainment treatments. Personal testimonials are not evidence, even if McCabe actually has the “thousands” of testimonials he claims in the flyer. Scientific research is evidence. If McCabe’s got scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of his treatment for ear infections, asthma, and allergies, let’s see it!
He says in the flyer, “Research has shown that children under chiropractic care have fewer ear infections, fewer allergies, fewer cases of tonsillitis and need less medication and their overall health is superior.” Let’s have a citation for that research, so we can see for ourselves. After looking at the tripe his “Wellness Center” partner Amy Stuber referenced in her article on otitis media, I would maintain healthy skepticism while examining McCabe’s “evidence”.
“Don’t knock it until you try it”? How about the more rational, “Don’t try it until you research it.”
Well from reading your other postings, you are probably one of the only people who sounds truly unhappy unless you are complaining about something. The Wellness Center doesn’t make you do anything, you can research what they tell you before you have any adjustments done. They sit down and talk, tell you and show you the pros and cons, maybe you being the skeptical one should go and talk to Mr. McCabe, I’m sure he will answer and of you 1,000′s of questions you can ask. And I sure hope everyone does do research before doing anything with their bodies, even going on meds, I hope they research that just as well. As most of us know if its not natural it’s not supposed to be good for us. Reading and understanding help with issues like yours.
Once again, “live here”, you have misdiagnosed me. I am actually truly happy when I am not complaining about something, because that means “all is well”! I am unhappy when complaining, becuase that means something is not right, and needs to be fixed.
The issue here is not my relative happiness, but the persistent stream of claims from Gress Chiropractic that they successfully treat ear ache, allergies, asthma, and the like, with spinal manipulations, all without any supporting evidence. I would have nothing to complain about if they either (1) stopped making these ridiculous claims, or (2) backed the claims up with verifiable scientific evidence. After all, we insist that medical equipment manufacturers, drug companies, oncology treatment methods, surgical techniques, and other medical health care factors provide evidence of effectiveness and safety, right? Why should chiropractors be exempt from such a requirement?
My skepticism is not merely idle curiosity and mild ignorance, to be assuaged by a little chat and personal charm. The Prime Directive for skeptics is, “Those who make extraordinary claims, must provide extraordinary evidence.” We are not dissuaded by personal testimonials and anecdotal evidence. We want data. What’s so unreasonable about that?
Oh, Albus! I think I’m in love!
I think I was about 3 when I learned if it looks like a “road apple,” and it smells like a “road apple,” it’s probably…ummm… A ROAD APPLE! And if all observers attest to the same, one may safely conclude, it is definitely a road apple. If someone comes along and paints it red in an effort to get you to take a bite…well, it’s still a road apple.
And there you have the allegory of the road apple. Applied to chiropractic, well…without the empirical evidence, chiropractic claims remain in the realm of magical thinking. And there is no such thing as magic–only science. When it comes to chiropractic, I want to see the science, not the science fiction.
This is strange stuff. In its infinitesimal wisdom, the Wisconsin State Legislature put its stamp of approval on chiropractic, mandating insurance payment of chiro claims, despite the Milwaukee Journal’s editorial in June 1987 strongly advising against it. See http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19870606&id=3F8aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CSsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6669,4328646
All through history, obdurate belief trumps factual evidence in forming public policy. I’m (probably delusionly) hopeful that we are soon approaching the point where science will dominate discussions of reality.
I wish I could share your optimism. Many things are fast approaching, but reason, I fear, ain’t one of them. Especially if it involves government on any level.
If it all gets to be too much, you can always go back in time to straighten things out, like this chiropractor claimed to do:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12208638/
Oh. My. Gawd. Thank you so much for starting my day off with a health-promoting belly laugh to massage my innards. After reading the MSNBC article at the link you provided, my insatiable curiosity led me to Google “bahlaqeem”–which is what this nut job calls his technique. At http://www.bahlaqeem.com I learned that although Jim Burda’s chiro license was pulled as a result of his time travel treatments, he has apparently expanded his bahlaqeem practice. It appears his is one of the several disciplines in “quantum healing.”
My “take away” from this morning’s excursion through Loonville is this: At least I am assured that the Ohio State Chiropractic Board has drawn a line somewhere between the generic load of chiro crapola and the schizophrenic delusions of “quantum healing.”
I’m not the only concerned about taking kids to see chiropractors. Take a look at this, from Canada:
http://www.centerforinquiry.net/blogs/entry/keep_chiropractors_away_from_children/
Now you can see why this blog is titled “Caution – Manure Spreaders at Work”.
The Canadians are closing on chiropractic. Take a look at
http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/local/story.html?id=4b04dbff-93c5-45cb-928a-736d3e2993e1
Our neighbors to the north are getting fed up with the junk science approach.
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