I don’t believe they teach science in chiropractic schools. That’s easy to tell, by the weird “science” chiropractors spout to justify their fees. It seems they also don’t teach ethics, judging by the ethical lapse into plagiarism printed in the Antigo Daily Journal in its March 2010 “Family Primetime” insert.
Stacy Bula’s article, “What about those pesky symptoms? Listen to your body,” beginning on page 15, is a blatant, uncredited swipe from someone else’s published work. Compare Bula’s alleged article with the one at http://www.integritychiro.net/docs/Efwf.htm by Susan M. Brown.
Brown’s article picks up midway through its first paragraph with, “The current view of health holds that if we have symptoms, we are sick and if we are without symptoms then we are healthy. And so much of modem health care, especially that which is medical in its approach, is geared toward ridding the individual of their symptoms. Some of the sickest people are symptom free.”
Bula’s article begins, “The current view of health holds that if we have symptoms, we are sick and if we are without symptoms then we are healthy. So much of modem health care is geared toward ridding the individual of their symptoms. Some of the sickest people are symptom free.”
The next 444 words of Bula’s article are word-for-word copied from Brown’s article. Then Bula skips a sentence, picks up her running plagiarism by writing, “Chiropractic’s purpose and intent is to turn on the power of the body so that it can heal…” etc., etc., yadda-yadda, where Brown writes, “My purpose and intent is to turn on the power of the body so that it can heal…” etc., etc.
From there, Bula copies Brown right through to the end of Brown’s article, then adds, “Chiropractic is not the diagnosis or treatment of any condition or disease. The focus of chiropractic is to reduce stress to your nervous system so your whole body can function better. Health is not the absence of symptoms, as sickness is not the presence of symptoms. Health is a condition of wholeness in which all of your organs are functioning 100%. To insure maximum health potential for your family, maintain a regular schedule with your Family Chiropractor. Symptomatic or not, Chiropractic Care offers your body the best possibilities for better function therefore better health.”
Nice finish, you think? Think again. That last bit is a two-paragraph “Editor’s Note” appended to Browns article when it was published by “Integrity Chiropractic” at the web address I listed above. Bula scales new heights of plagiarism and deceit by by stealing from two different authors in the same piece, and offering the unaccredited theft for publication as her own work.
Shame on you, Stacy Bula. You owe Susan Brown an apology for stealing her work and presenting it as your own. And you owe this community an apology for insulting its intelligence by thinking you could get away with your attempted deceit.
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Are you the chiropractic police?
No. I’m the journalistic police. There’s a lot of deceptive, misleading crap in chiropractic marketing. The ADJ happily provides the Antigo chiro-mafia with a ready outlet for any drivel they bring in to Fred’s desk. The issue here is not the absurdity of Bula’s chiropractic health entertainment act, but the fact that the Antigo Daily Journal published an article under Bula’s name that she swiped from someone else and pretended she had written. That’s deceptive, unethical behavior, plagiarism of the lowest form.
Good for you, Albus…plagurism may not be illegal but it IS immoral.
The whole thing smacks of a disrespect for decency — the ADJ’s disregard for journalistic standards, the Antigo chiro-mafia’s disregard for the real health care needs of the community, Bula’s disregard for ethics and honesty, the disregard of the general population for taking care themselves and each other. There had better be some damned heartfelt apologies coming out around here, from several fronts, before things get downright unpretty.
I am truly disgusted to read the article by the said Stacy Bula.
Plagiarism is not illegal but most certainly is immoral! I live in the uk and this would not be acceptable! I have suffered under the hands of a chiropractor who caused my stroke during neck manipulation!!
I like local man Scott Tatro suffered by the hands of a chiropractor!!
If you are going to write an article about it reasearch it before hand and most certainly dont be led into plagiarism.
This is a subject that need to be brought to the attention of people who have suffered!! Many people dont know the risks of visiting a chiropracor and we must get the word out there!!!
It’s a serious problem! Yet Stacy Bula rips off another person work for her own gain……disgusting you should be ashamed off yourself!!!!
It’s obvious that Albus is on a crusade against the ADJ and Chiropractors. He obsesses about them in almost every rant he produces. With all of this slamming of the ADJ, one would think that he would do something constructive about his concerns rather than continuously pollute this website with his ramblings. Albus, what are you accomplishing? It’s easy to continually criticize the ADJ as they are an easy target. Fred is abrasive and not great at what he does. Do you think that people are going to cancel their subscriptions because of your writings? Do you offer an alternative? The answer to those questions is no. It’s easy to point out the faults of the ADJ. Until you get out there and do something tangible about it rather than hurling your elitist insults, the ADJ will continue to to be the only daily newspaper in Antigo.
As for Stacy Bula, all I can say is this. My back was in a lot of pain. I went to see her and I have no more pain. Say what you will about her article, her profession, the science behind it all you want. The fact is my back hurt. I went to her and it doesn’t hurt anymore.
I have to agree with No Pain about Albus. If you don’t like chiropractors, don’t go to them. If you don’t like the ADJ quit reading and analyzing it.
“No Pain”, please note that your comments do not address the topic of this blog article, namely that the ADJ published, under Bula’s name, a piece of blatant plagiarism, an article previously published by, swiped from, one Susan Brown. What do you think about that dishonest act?
Secondly, you think I’m on crusade against chiropractors because I frequently call them down for acts of deceit, deceptive advertising, inept research, junk “science”, and false claims? So, I’m the bad guy for turning over the rock and shining light on their activities? You think the solution to the problem is for me to shut up, so no one will think badly of what’s going on? Is that your solution to community problems, just cover them up and pretend they’re not there?
That must be the case, because even you feel that, “It’s easy to continually criticize the ADJ as they are an easy target. Fred is abrasive and not great at what he does.” You want me to do something constructive about the very thing you would choose to ignore, then complain when I do something? How the hell does THAT work? I am doing something constructive by pointing out not only that ADJ is doing a bad job, but also precisely what’s wrong and how to fix it. Yeah, I hope people cancel their subscriptions, and I hope advertisers pressure the ADJ to clean up its act. Will that ever happen? Not if everyone silently accepts substandard performance.
Finally, did you know that some 90% of all back pain complaints resolve on their own in about two weeks? Not all of them, but 90% is still significant. From the Mayo Clinic (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/back-pain/SA00080):
“Clinical trials indicate that chiropractic care is as safe and effective as conventional treatments — which may include pain medication, rest or exercise. But that may not be saying much. Low back pain typically improves within a matter of weeks, even for people who seek no treatment at all.
Low back pain is often caused by injuries or strains, and there’s no magic cure. It simply takes time for your back to heal. But treatment of some type — either chiropractic or conventional — might make you more comfortable as you wait for this healing to occur. ”
Suppose you get a back ache that will probably resolve in a two weeks. You go to a chiropractor who schedules a series of appointments for “adjustments” for two weeks. And your back ache goes away in two weeks. Magic! You just pissed away a pile of cash for a cure you never needed. And the chiropractor gets to advertise cures for 90% of back aches. More magic!
Criticizing me for pointing out that the emperor has no clothes makes you part of the problem, not part of the solution.
robwartp says: “I have to agree with No Pain about Albus. If you don’t like chiropractors, don’t go to them. If you don’t like the ADJ quit reading and analyzing it.”
It’s not simply a matter of “don’t like”. It’s not simple personal prejudice on my part. There are good reasons for not liking. You may disagree with the “not liking”, but the reasons are facts. What good does denying facts get you?
So, I guess Albus has ALL the facts, ALL the information and HE alone is the keeper of the truth. ALL HAIL ALBUS! HE HATH PROVEN THAT CHIROPRACTORS ARE NOTHING MORE THAN SNAKE OIL SALESMAN, WITH ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD TO SOCIETY AT ALL!
I have heard your OPINION (not absolute truth, but your opinion) over and over. You have stated your case. I respect your opinion and disagree, as my experience after seeing Stacy Bula was positive. The pain was gone within a day, not two weeks later, but the next day. As for her article, I didn’t go to see her because she writes her own ideas in the paper. I went to her because my back hurt. I can accept my chiropractor did not write her own article. I can live with that.
In regards to your rants against the ADJ, I clearly stated that you are doing nothing ‘constructive’. You complain so much about it that anyone that reads your blather has probably tuned you out. I read them because I am amused by your writing every now and then. I am also amused by Fred’s writing, so you do nothing more in that respect than Fred does even if your grammar and style is superior to his.
No Pain says, “I can accept my chiropractor did not write her own article. I can live with that.” It would seem that your ethical standards are more flexible than mine.
No Pain says, “I am also amused by Fred’s writing….” It would seem you are more easily amused than I am.
So, your experience with a chiropractor was positive… that time. In the interest of balanced reporting, here are some experiences that were not so positive – http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Victims/victims.html
Tell you what, No Pain….Following your advice to do something constructive, I printed and delivered a copy of this thread to Bula’s office today. Also delivered a copy of the “Caution: Manure Spreaders at Work” blog to Amy Stuber’s office. Also delivered both those, and the most recent three ADJ critique blogs, to Fred’s office. Constructive criticism only works if you make sure the message gets delivered. Here’s hoping the articles will be received in the same cheerful mood of constructive criticism that they were offered. ;-]
Cheerful mood or snide elitism? Somehow I think you enjoy putting down those you disagree with. Your comment above speaks of being in the interest of balanced reporting. You have railed against the profession over and over. Then, when faced with ONE comment that dares to disagree with your point of view, you post a link with even more ‘balance’. This area has many chiropractors and the fact that it is a booming business seems to tell me that the public disagrees with you. Are all of these people that see chiropractors mindless rubes? No, they just have a different opinion than yours. The fact that this industry is growing more than provides the counter to your point of view. This was my first time seeing a chiropractor and the experience was positive. Stacy Bula did a wonderful job. If I have pain again, I would definately go back to her.
By the way, if you really did deliver these blogs as you have said, I doubt it was for the good of our community, but to slam them personally. That move, if you truly made it, would be nothing more than a mean spirited thing to do which only serves to heighten your sense of self importance.
So, when I announce directly to the Emperor, as well as to the public, that the Emperor has no clothes, I suddenly become a “snide elitist”? Clothing the Emperor in sound and fury doesn’t really cover the naked facts, does it?
No Pain says, “You have railed against the profession over and over. Then, when faced with ONE comment that dares to disagree with your point of view, you post a link with even more ‘balance’.”
Your ONE comment was an assertion that you had a positive experience the first time you went to a chirporactor. The link I provided showed dozens of people who have had disastrous results from visits to chiropractors. You apparently don’t like being over-”balanced”, but facts are facts, and in a debate facts trump opinions every time. How does it work that your opinion is more significant than my evidence? Are you suggesting that I should have let your mild personal anecdote be the final, decisive word as to the effectivity and safety of chiropractic?
No Pain says, “This area has many chiropractors and the fact that it is a booming business seems to tell me that the public disagrees with you.”
The chiropractic health entertainment business is indeed embraced by the public. There are as many chiropractors as there are police in Antigo, and more chiropractors than dentists. There is one chiropractor for every 560 Antigo citizens. Lots of activity… but, “booming”? “Popular” does not always mean “right”, any more than “right” is always popular.
Booming business? How do you define “booming”? You may be too easily impressed. Don’t get too excited by ADJ’s announcements of new chiropractors moving in, or just moving around from office to office, until you also tally up the ones who have folded their tents and moved on to greener pastures. Do you know the average income of Antigo’s chiro-mafia? Do you know how that compares to the average income of Antigo’s medical doctors?
No Pain says, “Are all of these people that see chiropractors mindless rubes? No, they just have a different opinion than yours.”
I agree. People are certainly entitled to their opinions. You’ll just have to accept the fact that, by the same token, I am also entitled to MY opinion. But I never called anyone a “mindless rube” for seeing a chiropractor, and I resent your attempt to pin me with a judgment you made up on your own. Call me a “snide elitist”, if name-calling is the best you can do for an argument, but don’t lay YOUR interpreted mis-quotes and presumed motives on ME as a diversionary tactic.
When someone says, “The emperor has no clothes,” your personal opinion about the character and motives of the reporter doesn’t really change the facts, does it? Rejecting evidence just because you don’t like it, or because it disagrees with your opinion, does little to advance your argument. Bring on some facts, and let’s have at it.
Here’s a fact to start with. Stacy Bula offered a plagiarized article as her own work in the Antigo Daily Journal, a publication under the control and authority of Fred Berner, Editor. My opinion of that act is that it stinks to high heaven, and we, the public, deserve apologies from both perpetrators. You may disagree with my opinion all you want, but if you disagree with my facts, you’ll have to provide some supporting evidence.
Hey, No Pain, were the links I offered a bit too much? Here’s just one link, one Antigo boy’s story – http://scottslockedin.com – for you to consider. Go take a look. Match your success story up against Scott’s story. Then come back and tell us how your success story demolishes what you call my snide elitist “crusade against the ADJ and Chiropractors.”
We’ll be waiting for your report….
Still waiting…. Anyone else want to take a look at Scott’s site, then come back here and chat a bit about I’ve got it all wrong about chiropractic?
Albus, as much as I know you love this, I have said my piece. I made my point. My back hurt, I went to Stacy Bula, my back doesnt hurt. I care nothing of her article writing. I never said you had it all wrong. I said I respect your opinion. I do not share your opinion. I do feel you talk down to people and the evidence is in your many posts. You obviously have more time on your hands that you know what to do with and want to argue. I will have a wry smile on my face everytime I see another chiropractor open up, not because I care one way or the other, but because I know that it will get under your skin all the more. I wish you all the happiness in the world and a back free of pain..if not, give Stacy a visit, she can help!
No Pain, it seems we are in agreement on almost every point! I DO enjoy this, because chatting with someone who uses complete sentences and grammatical construction is a very welcome relief from reading the ADJ. And having a civil discourse on what could emotionally-loaded topics is rarity these days. Perhaps we can start new trend….
Though my basically humble nature makes it difficult for me to do so, I would also have to agree with your earlier assertion, “ALL HAIL ALBUS! HE HATH PROVEN THAT CHIROPRACTORS ARE NOTHING MORE THAN SNAKE OIL SALESMAN, WITH ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD TO SOCIETY AT ALL!” It’s very civil of you to concede that point.
I, too, get a wry smile every time I see another chiropractor opening up in Antigo. Since only about 8% of the general population ever sees a chiropractor, that means Antigo’s 16 or so DC’s 9 (the actual number changes from month to month) are all scurrying after the business of some 640 potential patients, about 40 apiece. My sympathies to those 640 hardy, deep-pocket financiers.
I’m not telling people not to go to chiropractors. I’m telling chiropractors to clean up their act. I assume you sent to Scott’s web site, and it scared the bejeezuz out of you, like it did me. If you go to a chiropractor, just make sure you don’t get your neck manipulated. If you do have a problem, you can go to someone like http://www.abelsonlaw.com/chiropractic-injuries-attorney.html for help. (I have no association with them; I’m just pointing out that this presumable “rare” problem is common enough to have created a litigation specialty.)
I know you don’t care about Bula’s plagiarism. It doesn’t matter to you, and probably doesn’t matter to a lot of other folks, either. But it matters to me. And I thank you for the opportunity to discuss the issue and bring it out into the light of day. I’m not trying to unconvince the convinced, you know. I’m only hoping to convince the unconvinced.
ALBUS – I think you are amazing!
I’ve had my own dealings with chiropractors and although I sufferred a serious neck injury from one, I can’t bring myself to complain about it after reading about Scott Tatro. All I can feel is lucky.
Oh yes, as far as the plagerism…I guess she thought no one in Antigo was smart enough to know. Good for you ALBUS!
No word yet whether the apologetic correction announcement will be a display ad in the next issue of Family PrimeTime, or a boxed paragraph on ADJ’s editorial page. It’s a hard choice, and I’m sure Fred is taking his time to consider the right line of action.
Still no word on any correction and/or apology in the Antigo Daily Journal for Stacy Bula’s shameful plagiarism. How about it, Fred? guess we’ll have to wait for the next issue of Family PrimeTime. So far, the pool betting on when Fred’s going to apologize has 14 people on “Never”, and no one on any of the dates through the end of the year….
You’re my hero, Albus! Thanks for the great job you have done in bringing this act of plagiaristic jounalism to light. It is illegal to steal other people’s written work. It is also unethical. If ethics is important to Ms. Bula, I expect to see an apology from her. (Fred, on the other hand, runs a lot of chiro ads, so…so I predict no apology will be forthcoming. Because I am a ratfink, I went to the webpage you cited above and reported this episode to Susan M Brown, DC.
Good job on the ratfinking! And yeah, it’s a little odd, but not unexpected, that we’d hear nothing from the ADJ or the local chiro-mafia about this. Here’s something else we won’t hear anything about from them – http://www.chiropracticstroke.com/
Scott Tatro (http://scottslockedin.com) isn’t the only victim.
while the back and forth banter riveted me for a bit, you all got lost along the way. you’re overbaking the issue – i believe that the risk should be known, but on the other hand -chiropracters have helped many people live w/o eternal pain pills, neurontin, muscle relaxers, etc.
in the interest of disclosure – i am scott tatro’s cousin and we shared the same dc (and i don’t think he knows that). frankly said dc saved my sanity if not my life – i did the pt, the pills and massage that helps so many but in the long run – it was his expertise that i credit – and it was a VERY long haul (not to be compared to Scott’s)
having been thru my own PAIN episode – i’d have gladly undertaken the risk had i known and wish i could afford to go back to said dc.
Ann, I’m glad you found relief. It worked for you, and “no pain” says chiropractic worked for him too, and I’m sure there are others who have been helped, or who at least believe they were helped, by chiropractors. But there are also many people who say they’ve been helped by faith healers, reflexologists, astrologers, and palm readers. No doubt the relief in each case is real. It is the CAUSE of the relief that is questionable. Individual claims of success, without detailed verifiable data, do not erase the junk “science”, mumbo-jumbo, and magical thinking that surround these adventures in health care entertainment.
You say you wish you could afford to go back to the DC who helped you. That sounds like you are still having problems, and maybe the “cure” didn’t stick. I wish you well in your efforts for recovery.
Just to show that I’m not the only one questioning chiropractic “effectiveness”, take a look at this story about a bus ad I would love to run in Antigo, if Antigo had buses….
http://www.chirobase.org/08Legal/bus_ad.html
Ann, thats great that you and no pain had successful treatment from a chiropractor, but Scott and i did not!!!!
I suffred a stroke during neck manipulation with a chiropractor and people need to know the risks.
I have met many many people who have suffered from a chiropractor.
Iam not disputing the fact that they help people but they also kill people too!!!
During my research with my lawyer we have came across many cases of strokes and yes even death by chiropractors!! Just be warned this infact does happen!!!
I’ve been reading this bantoring back and forth. I have family members that go to chiropractors regularly and a couple that even worked for chiropractors. My husband went to Bula and got no relief until he quit going there and started with Amy Stuber. Our whole family went to Amy and found some relief. Then she started getted lazy and did the same exact adjustment each time we came in. Never looked for where the spine was out of place and did a quick adjustment in 5 minutes at a price of $56 per visit. Once they got you coming in, they think they have you convinced. I read all the articles that come along with the paper about the miracle cures and I haven’t seen one miracle yet for our entire family with varying health concerns. I am not convinced, and like Albus said, we are out thousands of dollars. If my back hurts, I wait a couple days or a week, and it goes away. Most of the problems for most people with back problems is weak muscles, our own fault. Chiropractic won’t cure that if we don’t exercise to strengthen those muscles. I will say that I have had temporary relief from pain after a few of my adjustments, but to have to maintain health by chiropractic care for an entire lifetime seems ridiculous to me. They want us to believe they can fix any problem we might have. I do not want to take the risk of ending up like Scott Tatro. I wonder which chiropractor in Antigo gave him that final adjustment that put him in the wheelchair. They should be shut down for good.
Not that I care about chiropractics (its patients or practitioners), but plagiarism in a newspaper should ALWAYS be taken seriously. Though, it is Antigo…Do they ever take anything seriously? Albus, I’m glad that someone in Antigo is crusading to hold the city to some standards. I hope your next exposé is just as good!
StillLOLING@54409 says, “I hope your next exposé is just as good!
”
It’s better, because the circumstances are worse! See the blog on “More chiro-plagiarism” from yesterday. This time, the swipe is about sunscreen effectiveness, by a sunscreen-expert chiropractor, stolen from an article by a “naturopathic physician”, and advising you have your suspicious skin growths checked by your chiropractor. Wait! Did I just see a big white rabbit with a large pocketwatch run through here? Probably a “temporalopathic physician” on his way to adjust some time-continuum subluxation….
I have to agree with No Pain too about Albus. If you don’t like chiropractors, don’t go to them. If you don’t like the ADJ quit reading and analyzing it.
Wow, how about, if you don’t like what I write, don’t read it? That’s Fred Berner’s approach, and it works for him!
I just received a letter complaining about an article I wrote being plagiarized which caused me search and see what was going on. It appears, by reading this site, that this site is set up specifically to discredit the more than 100 year old profession of chiropractic.
Reading the comments shows me that the writers don’t know much about the education of chiropractors. Yes, chiropractors are trained to identify skin conditions, listen to heart/lung sounds, read blood tests, diagnose gall bladder and kidney problems and much more. They, like other health care professionals, make the diagnosis and then decide to either treat or refer. In fact, the average chiropractor has more classroom hours, more than twice the neurology, more diagnosis than the average medical doctor. Whether you believe the allopathic model of germs causing all your problems or believe that the chiropractic model of allowing the body to heal itself is correct is your choice.
Sadly, reading all your statements makes me think that most of the posters are fakes by the same person.
Dr. F, first of all, only Albus posts for Albus. No one here is a “fake” for anyone else. It just happens that I am not only one here who has issues with chiropractic. Your “more than 100 year old” profession is, let me assure you, not above criticism. Note, however, that it also has its defenders, and that their voices are also heard here.
Second, the article plagiarized by Stacy Bula was written by Susan M. Brown, DC. The article plagiarized by Stephen Veselak was written by Jacob Schor, ND, FABNO. Perhaps you are referring to yet another plagiarism unknow to us, unless you wish to claim the identity of one of those two original authors. I have been in correspondence with one, and with the publisher of the other, so be careful which one you claim to be.
Third, given the choice of allopathic or chiropractic care, I would opt for the one with the Hippocratic Oath, which in part asserts, “I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone.” I like the “never do harm” part.
Dr. F, regarding your comments comparing chiropractic education with medical education, here’s some insight, from a chiropractor, that disputes your contentions about the alleged superiority of chiropractic education:
http://quackfiles.blogspot.com/2004/11/chiropractic-education-by-john-badanes.html
Please let us know which of the plagiarized authors I’ve referenced, Brown or Schor, you are claiming to be, in order to put to rest suspicions, based on text content and style analysis, that you are neither of them. We wouldn’t want to have any “fake” posters here, would we?
Hello, Dr. F? Helloooo…. Indulging in a little fakery, were you? You should know, we’re in “Langlade County, the County of Trolls”! We understand trolls, and how to keep them hidden under their bridges. You may need a refresher course before you come back; see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_%28Internet%29
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I’m from St. Louis, originally from Antigo. I find it truly funny how this “Albus” is trying to bring down the chiropractic business by attacking small town chiropractors. Good for you Albus. I think you may be rewarded from your ranting and raving by possibly getting an ulcer or two or maybe something only a chiropractor could fix. Could you see the irony in that?
I don’t think you have too much else to win in your crusade in a small town.