The Guardian removes critical article

CBC's Marketplace - February 2008

Is that thing in your shoe worth the money you paid?

Chiropractic Orthotic Schemes

CBC's Marketplace - February 2008

Is that thing in your shoe worth the money you paid?

The business of selling these expensive shoe inserts is examined. Chiropractors seem to be the main group of people selling these inserts and making big money.

The GaitScan system was demonstrated and one of the Canadian marketers was grilled about the cost of the orthotics, their effectiveness, etc. His answers were not very complete, especially when asked how much he charges the chiropractors for the inserts.

The response from a spokesman the Chiropractic College of Ontario was in my opinion totally evasive. I don't think that he understood the CCO's Standards of Practice - Orthotics that had been discussed since 2001.

Here is what the Standards actually say:

It is obvious to some insurance companies that examined the orthotics industry and the claims and practices of chiropractors in the Province of Ontario who seem to be selling them. I assume that they accomplished this way before the CBC's Marketplace did. I also assume that they would have employed undercover patients in their endeavor.

The CBC's hidden camera stings on several chiropractors who prescribed orthotics should nail the insert schlockers, but until other insurance companies take action this will go on and on. All you have to do is compare the Yellow Pages ads last year with next year's phone book to see who is still running the ads.

Orthotics investigations

Orthotic Promotions by Chiropractors

Chiropractic Stroke Awareness Group

Television Awareness Campaign Expanded

• Download their press release as an Adobe PDF document.

A support group for people injured by chiropractors expands its television public awareness campaign.

Wethersfield, CT (PRWEB) October 29, 2007 -- The Chiropractic Stroke Awareness Group (CSAG) is expanding its television awareness campaign, this time asking the question, "Have you been injured by a chiropractor?" on the ABC affiliate in Connecticut. The public service announcement (PSA) then provides contact information for victims to seek information and support.

The PSA, which can be seen on WTNH-TV News Channel 8, is part of an ongoing public service effort (including print and outdoor advertising) designed to raise the public consciousness about the risks of chiropractic treatment. Last month CSAG launched the television component on WTIC-TV the Fox affiliate in Connecticut.

"The response has been overwhelming," said Amanda Thompson of CSAG. "Many people are coming forward to share their horror stories and to seek help."

The organization represents hundreds of people across the country who have been injured by chiropractic treatment. Potential risks can include stroke, permanent disability and even death. CSAG is dismayed at the chiropractic community's response of preferring not to inform patients apparently out of fear some people might decide against chiropractic treatment if they were informed.

"Sadly, the chiropractic industry remains more concerned about protecting profits than protecting their patients," Ms. Thompson said. "One must ask the question 'what are they afraid of?"

• The PSA can also be viewed on YouTube.

Contact Information:

Telephone: 860-529-8826

URL: www.chiropracticstroke.com

Christine Anderson faces California Board

ADVERTISING CONTAINING SENSATIONAL OR FABULOUS STATEMENTS

* practicing outside of the chiropractic scope of practice
* the use of titles that she is not allowed to use (Diploma of Homeopathy)
* advocating homeopathic remedies to treat otitis media in children
* numerous anti-vaccine statements
* chiropractic adjustments help the immune and blood system function
* neuro emotional technique are effective for infertility
* SEMG (surface electromyography) can detect subluxations
* adjustments can reduce labor time and enhance placental function
* chiropractic care can help reduce complications during pregnancy
* chiropractic care is beneficial in high-risk pregnancies
* advertises the Webster Technique, a breech turning protocol
* subluxations can cause fallopian tube malfunction, and may result in infertility, ectopic
  pregnancy and endometriosis
* subluxation may cause men to have problems with their penile or testicular
  function, and also sperm production, maturation, erection and sperm flow
* infant car seats lack support of the neck which may cause subluxation
* emotional and toxic stress causes subluxation
* spinal checkups during pregnancy can detect and eliminate the restrictions
  in the baby's development
* regular chiropractic care (or preferably in utero) absolutely helps
  children grow up healthier and happier.
* it's important for kids to have their spines checked from birth onward and
  that the only professional qualified to do this is a chiropractor.
* the use of non-invasive Bioenergetic testing/ Meridian Stress Assessment
  can determine which foods and/or environmental factors one has allergies
  to.
* chiropractic technique can desensitize a person from specific allergies
* chiropractors are specialists when it comes to bones, muscle, and nerves

BEYOND THE SCOPE OF PRACTICE

* She provides the following services: homeopathic remedies, flower remedies, homeopathic
 consulting, fertility/infertility counseling, allergy testing, bioenergetics testing, hair
 analysis, Doula and Birth support services, functional nutrition and other services.
 

A chiropractic license does not authorize the holder to deliver a human child, to practice
 obstetrics, or to use any drug or medicine included in the materia medica.


THERE ARE THREE CHOICES UNDER THE CHIROPRACTIC ACT

1. Revoking or suspending her license number DC-20869

2. Order her to pay the Board reasonable costs of the investigation and enforcement

3. Taking such other and further action as deemed necessary and proper

Sharon Stone admits chiropractic neck manipulation could have caused her stroke

• "Really nice to be alive," Stone says - By Ann Oldenburg - USA TODAY Sharon Stone says she almost died last year when she was hospitalized for what physicians thought was a brain aneurysm. "We think it's possible that it was an injury from a horseback riding accident, made worse by chiropractic adjustments," she says.

Chiropractor visits Toronto Home Show
- Is he looking for a new home?

Chiropractic costs tops in Texas Workmen's Comp

Chiropractic neck crack can cause strokes:

Vegatest scams A cure for no diseases, Canadian style To ask whether a machine can think is like asking whether submarines can swim. Health Canada just banned the use of the Vegatest devices in January 2002. So let's see if health regulators will do anything to those licensed health practitioners who still use them. Letter to Ontario health regulators: The CBC Disclosure show on January 29, 2002 revealed that Health Canada has issued a recall of four types of Vegatest devices. What is your response to this, and will your organization advise their members to stop using these devices to diagnose and treat patients? If naturopaths, chiropractors, and medical doctors who use these devices ignore the ban, what will your agency do? There are hundreds of naturopaths, chiropractors and medical doctors who may be using Vegatest type machines who may have not seen the CBC show. I think it would be a public service to make a statement about it, to reassure the public that their licensed health practitioner will comply with the Health Canada order. Thanks very much. Terry Polevoy, MD Healthwatcher.net Watch the show on CBC - RealPlayer 15 minutes P.S. Vegatest medical doctor loses his appeal Tecumseh Chiro's Testimonials Rocks On For a Hallelujah of a good time call 1-877-480-7439 What passes for testimonials by an evangelical chiropractor is now available to all newbies and established patients. Despite the siren call to prayers in this suburban Windsor office, the College of Chiropractors of Ontario seems like they have earplugs in all orifices. They see no evil, the hear no evil, they speak no evil when it comes to reigning in their members who profess chiropractic with a religious zeal that approaches that of Burt Lancaster's character in Elmer Gantry. Whether it's a room full of 15-20 potential employees who are screened for their beliefs in chiropractic, instead of their skills as office staff, or just the average day at work, this chiropractor seems to ignore all messages he gets from the CCO. So, please feel free to listen to the tape above, and then you decide. Nantais Chiropractic web site Complaint against web site files around August 18, 2001 Nix to Newfie Chiropractors Chiropractic services will not be covered in Newfoundland Medical Post - Jan. 22, 2002 By Mark Quinn In what seems to be a growing nightmare for chiropractic across Canada, the Newfoundland government looks at the major studies like Manga, that are used across North America to justify government support, and they see flaws. They see so much misinformation and miscalculation that they take the Manga Report and basically shred it. There will be NO chiropractic coverage by the government of Newfoundland. So there!!!! U.K. Expert reviews risks of chiropractic neck manipulation Spinal manipulation: Its safety is uncertain CMAJ - January 8, 2002 Professor Edzard Ernst, University of Exeter What is the message for primary care physicians? On the one hand, there is little evidence to demonstrate that spinal manipulation has any specific therapeutic effects. On the other hand, there is convincing evidence to show that it is associated with frequent, mild adverse effects6 as well as with serious complications of unknown incidence. Therefore, it seems debatable whether the benefits of spinal manipulation outweigh its risks. Specific risk factors for vascular accidents related to spinal manipulation have not been identified which means that any patient may be at risk, particularly those below 45 years of age. Definitive, prospective studies that can overcome the limitations of previous investigations are now a matter of urgency. Until they are available, clinicians might tell their patients to adopt a cautious approach and avoid the type of spinal manipulation for which the risk seems greatest: forceful manipulation of the upper spine with a rotational element. British Columbia cuts chiropractic benefits CBC - January 3, 2002 British Columbia's public medical coverage no longer pays for visits to physiotherapists, chiropractors and naturopaths, unless it's treatment for families and individuals with a net income of $20,000 or less. College of Chiropractors of Ontario Newsletter This recent CCO newsletter, distributed to all Ontario chiropractors, addresses several pressing and important concerns for the chiropractic profession and the public. There are serious problems that are not addressed, and serious errors that suggest that it would be o.k. for chiropractors to practice quackery and endanger the public, as long as they tell their clients that their malpractice insurance does not cover things like iridology or ear candling. The fact that one of these is fraudulent, and the other illegal and dangerous must have gone right by Dr. Allan Gotlib, the apparent author of the newsletter. Chiropractor sued after child paralyzed Family seeks $2.75 million for 11-year-old son Paul Benedetti, and Wayne McPhail Special report - Barrie, Ontario Lawsuit claims that Gary Dyke, a Barrie chiropractor, treated a boy for chest pains after he went swimming. Dyke treated him a number of times with neck and spinal manipulation, yet he failed to x-ray, diagnose or examine child. The boy had a benign spinal tumour which could have been easily diagnosed and treated by neurosurgeons at the Hospital for Sick Children, in Toronto. The problem is, alleged in the lawsuit, that the tumour was injured because of the spinal manipulation done by Dyke. The boy is now paralyzed from the waist down, and has limited bladder and bowel control. The Turner lawsuit highlights grave concern on the part of pediatricians across Canada about the chiropractic manipulation of children. CMAJ articles on cervical stroke risk Arterial dissections following cervical manipulation: the chiropractic experience - Scott Haldeman, Paul Carey, Murray Townsend, Costa Papadopoulos The only manner in which the real incidence of dissection following cervical manipulation can be established and the feasibility of screening patients determined is to carry out research in which both chiropractors and neurologists participate. Failure to cooperate in such research will result in confusing and conflicting information being given to patients and will reduce the likelihood that these complications can be avoided. Canadian Stroke Consortium update from CMAJ Collaboration with our chiropractic colleagues is crucial to understanding and resolving the association between sudden neck movement and stroke. Blanket denial or distortion of our data from various quarters can only delay discovery of the necessary facts at the expense of the well-being of patients. Cervical manipulation and risk of stroke by Drs. Kapral and Bondy about cervical manipulation with comments on the Haldeman article: The study by Haldeman and colleagues provides important data about the association between stroke and specific chiropractic interventions. However, the use of malpractice claims data is unlikely to lead to an accurate estimation of the risk of stroke. Not all stroke events will lead to claims, and the same biases in documentation of exposure may be operating as in the Norris paper. In addition, this study relies on an estimate of the denominator of cervical manipulations performed by chiropractors. Junk medicine: spinal manipulation - The Times U.K. - March 26, 2006 While it was not surprising to learn that the technique is useless for period pain or allergies, it fared badly even with complaints for which benefits might be expected. For neck pain it was “not of demonstrable effectiveness”. Even for back pain it was no better than conventional treatments, such as exercise. “There is little evidence that spinal manipulation is effective in the treatment of any medical condition, ” it concluded. Can chiropractic maim and kill? - National electronic Library for Health - UK Setting the record straight on chiropractic - Medscape - signup to view James Mertz, DC, ACA - rebuttal of Homolas's article Sam Homola, DC - rebuttal of rebuttal Student Loan Defaults Federal loan defaults of all U.S. chiropractic school students - Note the unpaid debt load of these schools. These figures are for U.S. citizens only, they do not include Canadian students. Life University students owe millions Parker - Texas Palmer Cleveland Logan National Los Angeles Record high loan default - $321,774 U.S. Stroke victims five times more likely to have visited chiropractor - CANOE.CA - Wayne MacPhail - May 9, 2001 People under 45 who suffer a stroke are five times more likely to have seen a chiropractor in the previous week than a control group, says a new Ontario study. The Toronto-based study also indicates that one in every 100,000 chiropractic neck patients under 45 years of age will suffer a stroke. The study examined 582 Ontario patients who had shown up at hospital with damage to their vertebral artery. Revolting Developments and other Chiro Devices Saskatchewan Chiro Association rejects Activator - April 23, 2001 REGINA -- Saskatchewan chiropractors have rejected the latest attempt by a group of dissidents to allow the use of a mechanical device that's popular among their colleagues across Canada. Their governing body, chiropractors upheld regulatory bylaws prohibiting the use of the Activator. Pre-inquest battle to win the hearts and minds Chiropractic twists and turns - Michele Mandel - Toronto Sun - April 22, 2001 It has been a shameful search fraught with coroner reversals, Deep Throat envelopes and stolen e-mails as the chiropractic profession assembles its heaviest artillery to fight an inquest it fears will place chiropractic on trial. Meanwhile a lone, patient family is pummelled at every turn. Stroke expert demands to know how private e-mail was leaked - CANOE.CA - April 20, 2001 - Wayne MacPhail A Sunnybrook Hospital neurologist wants to know how his private e-mail became evidence in a hearing prior to the inquest into the death of a Toronto woman. Dr. John Norris is demanding an answer about how a private e-mail sent he sent to Dr. Murray Katz, a Montreal-based pediatric practitioner, got into the hands of a lawyer representing chiropractic organizations at the inquest. Tim Danson's little brown envelope - Murray Katz, M.D. - April 18, 2001 This is an open letter from Dr. Murray Katz, a pediatrician from Montreal who was asked to be the agent for the family of Lana Dale Lewis, a woman who died in 1996 after she visited a chiropractor. On April 18, 2001 he was removed from Lewis family's team of medical experts. The chilling effect on the case may come back to haunt the chiropractors and their legal experts. Doctor dismissed in chiropractic inquest - C-Health April 18, 2001 For possibly the first time in Canada, a coroner has removed a legal agent from an inquest. Dr. Murray Katz was dismissed yesterday as the legal representative for the family at the inquest of Lana Dale Lewis. The inquest is being held into the 1996 death of the 45-year-old Toronto woman who died from complications of a stroke after having her neck manipulated by a chiropractor. Dr. Katz, a Montreal pediatric practitioner, has been acting as the family's legal agent free-of-charge since early Feb Dr. Katz removed - Globe and Mail - April 19, 2001 In a rare if not unprecedented move, a coroner has removed a legal agent from an inquest for inappropriate behaviour before the inquest has even begun. Coroner Barry McLellan told Montreal pediatric practitioner Murray Katz yesterday that he could no longer represent the family of Lana Dale Lewis at the inquest looking into her death. Search Globe and Mail for Lana Dale Lewis Missing heart - arrows thrown at Dr. Katz - Globe and Mail - April 18, 2001Defendent's lawyer wants to know what happened to heart that used to beat inside the body of stroke victim Lana Dale Lewis. They also want to know why Dr. Katz is in the room. They all had harsh words about Dr. Katz, who sat quietly in his chair, often shaking his head, as the attacks on him heated up. They called him a liar, a fraud, questioned his credentials, and accused him of being a zealot on a mission to destroy the chiropractic profession. Dr. McLellan reserved judgment on the motion. Inquest or Whitewash? Ads will aim to draw women to chiropractors - GAY ABBATE - Globe and Mail April 9, 2001 Just as a coroner's inquest is set to explore a possible connection between chiropractic neck adjustments and strokes in women, an association representing chiropractors is preparing an advertising campaign geared to attracting more women patients. Dr. Norris banned from Lewis Inquest Wayne McPhail's C-Health - April 4, 2001 Canada's leading medical expert on stroke and chiropractic neck manipulation says he's been dropped as a Crown witness for an inquest into the death of a Toronto woman who died after a chiropractic neck manipulation. Stroke expert Dr. John Norris also says the upcoming inquest will be a "whitewash". YORK UNIVERSITY ATKINSON COLLEGE COUNCIL SAYS NO TO CHIROPRACIC MERGER York University's Atkinson College nixes CMCC bid At 3:25pm on March 28, 2001, Atkinson College Faculty Council voted on the following "motion": "... that the Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies establish an association with the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) and that this association lead to offering the DC (Doctor of Chiropractic), with a York approved curriculum, as -a first professional York degree. The "motion" was in fact divided into two parts. The first was to approve an "association" between York/Atkinson and CMCC, while the second was to approve a strong and explicit type of association - the granting of a D.C. degree. If you'll recall, the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science at York rejected _any_ type of association with CMCC in May 1998. This led to the proposal that Atkinson College (a college with a small nursing program, and a health policy & management program) host CMCC. Atkinson College deliberated for about one year on this issue prior to yesterday's vote. The results of the vote: Atkinson College Council rejected _any_ form of association with CMCC: 26 votes against, 21 for, with 2 abstentions. It is not clear what will happen next. On the one hand, which other Faculty could realistically host CMCC at York? On the other, we've learned that "it's not over till it's over." Still, things do look good at the moment. Background story Why would Canada's third largest university want to affiliate with the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College? How much would $25 million buy today?