Holly has been having neck problems recently and decided to go see a chiropractor. She took some X-Rays of her spine and got an adjustment (a $45 dollar fee, not bad). Holly has also had frequent headaches and on top of that, and one shoulder sits higher than the other when relaxed. We went last night to view the X-Rays but before that we sat through a 2 hour class about
subluxation.
Subluxation is defined as a partial dislocation. It is a very common thing but, as we were informed, very serious. Chiropractors believe that all healing comes by way of the spine. When you get a cut on your leg, the brain sends signals through the central nervous system to tell the body to heal itself. When subluxation pinches or irritates the spinal cord those signals are blocked and, in turn, your body is not in a position to heal at its optimal capacity.
We sat in a class of about 7 where she told stories of her childhood; how she had many medical problems such as double-scoliosis, asthma, allergies, headaches, etc. She almost broke into tears because she missed out on a lot of things growing up. I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't feel bad for her. When she hit the age of 21 she went to see a chiropractor and, long story short, it fixed her completely. She said that doctors were amazed at her rapid recovery over just a few months of seeing a chiropractor.
She then told us about her sister who was very "healthy" until one day she had abdominal pain. She went to a doctor, got some X-Rays, and discovered a tumor the size of a grapefruit next to her reproductive organs and one kidney 3 times larger than the other. After many failed tries with doctors she went to see the speaker-chiropractor. Long story short, after helping her sister for a month or so the tumor went down to the size of a plum and her kidney returned to normal. I forgot to mention she almost broke into tears while telling the story. I won't lie - I had to swallow hard to keep from dethroning my manly disposition.
When story time was over she told us about the 4 phases of subluxation with phase 4 making the body a vegetable. She made the following statements:
- medical malpractice is the #1 killer in America today (heart problems are #2, cancer is #3)
- medical malpractice kills ~3,000 people per day (she likened it to the 9/11 tragedy happening on a daily basis)
- studies show a medical doctors biggest fear is being a patient (she showed us a Time magazine article on it)
- Your health should be the most important thing in your life
- only 6% of your nerves transmit pain, and you should never base your health on the way you feel, which most all of us do
- America is declining in health and every hospital in America has plans to expand
- medical doctors only try to get rid of the symptoms and not correct the problem (this keeps you coming back and they stay in business)
- insurance companies often do not cover chiropractics because of the above bullet point (I didn't understand this either)
- Doing her program will make you live longer and healthier
- the answer to all health problems goes back to the spine
- the body is capable of healing itself of almost every kind of disease, even cancer, given the optimal 45 degree curves in the spine
She then used several "used-car salesman" tactics which were really convincing but I was waiting on the price tag. Here it comes - She told everyone that a typical year would cost $3000! Yowzas! I immediately thought of Matthew 6:27 "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life." (read it in
context).
After the presentation, Holly and I were taken to a back room where we finally got to see Holly's X-Rays. We were told Holly is in Phase 2 of subluxation and its only going to get worse. Her neck X-Ray from the side showed Holly's neck was completely straight - all three curves of the spine should be 45 degrees and her neck is at -10 degrees. She also showed how Holly's hips were uneven and how she had slight scoliosis in the upper region of her spine. We were recommended a 1 year program which included 84 office visits, some home equipment (one of them was called something like "head bricks"), and X-ray fees. The total came out to be ~$3,200. We asked about doing a 4 month program instead and she gave us the price of $1,100. That price is much more do-able.
Now, I'd be willing to fork out $5000 for Holly's well being, but my BS meter shot up pretty high during the appointment, which is leaving me to hesitate forking over the cash. When we were ready to leave I figured they would call us back after Holly and I could talk it over but she wanted the money right then! She even got noticeably upset when I told her that I wanted to get a second opinion and do some research on my own. She must have known, if we left without committing, we were never coming back.
Well I did my research but I want to hear what you think. Was the chiropractor just pitching us the old "emotional I'm-gonna-regret-this-later used-car-salesman I-think-your-and-idiot-and-I-want-your-money" gig? Or will this be very beneficial to Holly in the short and long term areas of health in her life (after all, I do want her to live long so I can die before she does :P)?
Note: to be a chiropractor you need at least 90 semester hours at an accredited college and a 2.5 GPA. Chiropractors are not doctors.
