Sceptic asked in comments on the post I did on Aspirin. “Are you saying that chiropractors should discourage people from self-medicating, rather than making a comment about medication prescribed by a doctor”?
The public should be free to make up their own minds about what works for them, and not rely on doctors,chiropractors or editors of scientific journals to make the decision for them. I dont tell people to do anything, I provide them with information and they make decisions. Many dont do what I would hope they would do.
I thought the commentary I put with an article a GP wrote about having chiropractic care from me, best answered the question “Sceptic” asks. The UCA published the commentary in their Magazine, which upset GCC chairman Peter Dixon as I was on the council at the time. I pointed out to Peter Dixon I was not a member of council when I wrote the piece and could write what I liked. However I knew full well when I was writing it, it would be published to coincide with my entry into those “dark rooms” where decisions are made.
Chiropractor’s are the experts in chiropractic care
By Richard Lanigan DC. MSc (Public Health and Health Promotion) May 2007
The Chiropractic Patient Association (CPA) recently accepted an article from a patient of mine who happens to be GP. This lovely lady and her husband, an ENT surgeon, come in every month to be checked. They ask questions and accept my expertise in the area of chiropractic care, If they had no confidence in my ability to provide care I guess they would not come. Initially she came in because she had low back pain, as with every patient initially I gave her a report of findings for the acute phase of care. I also advised her to try to stay active, stop taking the pain killers she was on and use ice if she needed to manage the pain. I am of the view I can make a more objective evaluation of a patient’s progress if they are not taking pain killers, and NSAID’s by inhibiting prostaglandins affect the quality of tissue repair. Unfortunately, the CPA was concerned that publishing my views which accompanied the GP’s article might be viewed by the GCC as “bringing the profession into disrepute” and for my own good they would not publish the commentary that accompanied the article. That I express here.
These are the fears that stalk chiropractors every day in practice often preventing many I have talked to from doing what would be in the patient/client’s best interest, which is contrary to the code of practice. For the profession to progress the GCC must start showing chiropractors the respect they deserve for the decisions they make in practice and then they might begin to earn the respect of chiropractors which they have lost over the last seven years.
All patients who decide to visit a chiropractor have made a conscious decision to seek an alternative approach to their problem and are happy to pay for that service and the chiropractor’s expertise, many are seeking a second opinion. If a chiropractors believes a back problem is caused by sedentary lifestyle, causing their “vertebral subluxation complex” the chiropractor would say so. However, Fitness to Practise Reports make many chiropractors reluctant to provide advice when another treatment is involved . If a chiropractor’s years of experience say dental treatment could be contributing to someone’s problem or painkillers could be masking the pain of an underlying problem and making the problem worse, what is the chiropractor to do? Continue with chiropractic care suspecting it may not achieve the desired outcome or question the other treatments the patient is having? Chiropractors are avoiding pointing at the other treatments for fear it might be interpreted as unjust criticism of another health care profession.
The analogy I use for my patients is that if they had a stone in their shoe causing discomfort what would they do? Would they ignore the discomfort and take painkillers to mask the pain or find the stone. Common sense tells them to find the stone and remove it. I always advise patients to refrain from taking pain relieving medication unless the pain prevents them sleeping. Yes despite the fact a chiropractor has been charged by the GCC for “calling into question the role and efficacy of medicine” by writing:
“When symptoms do exist some people choose to take medication. Medication may occasionally be required in an emergency situation however, it is important to understand that this only serves to mask the symptoms and does not change the disease process”.
Our first duty is to our patients and the fear of the GCC should not make chiropractors with the right experience practise defensively. Everything a chiropractor does should be in the patient’s best interest and it is ludicrous to suggest, that a chiropractor advising patients not to take medication is calling into question “the role and efficacy of medicine”. Its like government telling dentists to stop advising children not to eat sweets because sweets generate money and boost the economy.
Chiropractic is a separate and distinct profession from medicine and my hope is that it remains so. It would be a disaster for the profession if chiropractors take advantage of the Health and Social Care Act 2000 and start prescribing. Principally, it would lead to a deskilling of chiropractic technique, with those who are not proficient relying on prescribing pain relief medicines to patients and calling it chiropractic treatment. Why pay for this type of service from a chiropractor when it is available from a medical expert free on the NHS? Then heaven help the rest of the profession the first time a “medipractor” gives a wrong prescription.
If I want my tap mended I will call a plumber. If I need medical treatment I want a medical doctor. If I want pain relief, I want it to be prescribed by an expert with experience, a medical doctor. Likewise if someone wants a spinal adjustment they should get it from an expert, a chiropractor and they should also be confident they are getting the best advice that goes with this intervention.
One of my best friends was awarded the highest honour in surgery a few years ago by Liam Donaldson, the chief medical officer, we have mutual respect for each other’s work however little our professions have in common. Chiropractic and medicine are as similar as apples and oranges, both are fruits and we are health professions there the similarity ends. Its not “them” and “us” or who is the best, both professions provide a service and the consumer decides which service they want or whether they want some of each. Ultimately, it will be consumer demand that determines the kind of service chiropractors provide the public in the future and it is incumbent on every chiropractor to make sure the care they provide every day is of the highest standard that their experience can support.
No related posts.
