Okay, I’ve been silent for a few days waiting for someone to comment on my last post, which I thought was rather humorous, but apparently no one else thought worthy of notice. (hint, hint)

Oh well, be that as it may, this week I ran across another funny little story penned by the ever-lovable Panda Bear, MD that I thought you might enjoy, instead.

It involves his recent encounter with one of our old friends and was tucked neatly within a post entitled, Randompanda.

To fully appreciate this little ditty, you need to understand that Panda Bear is an ER doctor working in a major metropolitan hospital and his patient… well, you’ll see…

I Kept My Mouth Shut

I had a trauma patient the other day who quickly informed me that he was a chiropractor and then rattled off the cervical vertebrae he believed to be injured just to show us that we were dealing with a medical professional and not some yokel.

He had fallen off of a ladder and bumped his head. After the usual “pan scan” that the trauma surgeons order on everyone regardless of mechanism or history he was given a clean bill of health and discharged from the department.

We usually send these minor trauma patients home with a small prescription for vicodin or percocet even though all most people really need for this kind of thing is some motrin.

I have been sticking to the motrin lately because we don’t have to give narcotics to everybody. He flagged me down before he was discharged and demanded something stronger for his pain. I smiled politely and wrote him a prescription for Vicodin.

Chiropractor, heal thyself. Doesn’t he have any colleagues that could, I don’t know, adjust him or something?

If you don’t see the humor in this, you just haven’t been paying attention.

Suffice it to say that Panda and I share similar opinions when it comes to magic (i.e. illusion) vs. medicine. Which is probably why he then goes on to share some further observations…

Chiromancy

Speaking of chiropractors, I have had a run of patients lately who are under their treatment. I keep my face blank and my tongue still but most of them feel the need to apologize, which shows you that even most of the chiromancer’s customers suspect that they are being hornswoggled by this century’s equivalent of the Patent Medicine Man.

Look, its not rocket science. You can’t cure an inflamed gallbladder or a pulmonary embolism by adjusting the spine. You can’t actually adjust the spine either because, while I am second to none in admiration for the typical chiromancer’s knowledge of spinal anatomy, all of those ligaments and muscles that they rattle off prevent the kind of movements that they claim to induce.

Hell, in my line of work we call chiropractic “spinal adjustment” by its correct term, “trauma,” and it is only the inability of most chiromancers to generate motor vehicle collision-type forces that keep them from hurting more patients than they actually do.

As usual, I find myself agreeing with Panda Bear on this one.

###

References:

If you’ve just arrived here and are still struggling under the illusion that chiropractors are medical doctors, here are some articles that will bring you up to speed:

• Don’t I Need a Chiropractor?
• How Chiropractic Damages Your Spine
• Medical School or Fraud Factory? An Inside Look at Chiropractic College

*********************

This is a story of comparisons.

It’s also a story about professional conduct, ethical standards and common courtesy.

*****

If you’ve been following this blog for any length of time, you know that I recently wrote a silly little bit about a particularly odd email I received one particularly odd day that I jokingly refer to as “Dumb Day.”

And it occurs to me that some may not fully appreciate the circumstances behind that post or understand the manner in which I chose to approach it. Perhaps you think I was being mean-spirited.

Hopefully by the end of this post you’ll appreciate:

• Why I was offended by the email in question
• Why I didn’t respond to that email
• Why I decided to expose what appeared to be an attempt to harm me

Let’s start by making some comparisons.

The First Comparison:

I can only write from my personal experience, but the first thing I would like to do is compare what I see as the difference between real medical doctors and chiropractors when it comes to professional conduct and ethical standards.

Over the past four years I have received a number of emails from chiropractors that I would classify as nothing but malicious hate mail. In this latest incident, I received no less than six emails altogether from the chiropractic office in question (two before I ever wrote the article) which contained the following elements:

1. False accusations
2. Harassment
3. Threats
4. Intimidation
5. Badgering
6. Derision

Throughout the entire incident, from beginning to end, I was never once treated with courtesy or anything resembling professional conduct.

On the other hand, the correspondence that I have received from real doctors and other medical professionals has always involved:

1. Courtesy
2. Respect
3. Positive Feedback
4. Constructive criticism

Which brings me to…

The Second Comparison:

What can you expect to receive in correspondence from a medical doctor?

Whenever I receive correspondence from a medical doctor they always pay me the courtesy of introducing themselves and informing me that they are, in fact, a medical doctor. They usually will also inform me of their specialty such as surgeon, family practitioner, neurologist and so on.

I have never received a single negative comment — let alone anything even resembling hate mail — from a medical doctor. And frankly, I would be shocked if I did.

For the most part, medical doctors are known for having a very keen sense of professional ethics and for maintaining the highest level of personal and professional conduct.

Chiropractors, on the other hand, are another story.

Take the first cryptic email I received from this chiropractic office.

Did she take the time to introduce herself? Did she let me know she was a doctor of chiropractic? Did she explain why I was receiving a cryptic letter from her office?

No.

She did not introduce herself. She did not state her profession. She did not state the nature of her intentions or why she was contacting me. It contained no introduction whatsoever.

There was no explanation as to why I was receiving this correspondence under the name in which it was sent. There was no explanation as to why this anonymous person, “Jim” was being allowed to represent or send correspondence from her office.

It was clearly from a doctor’s office… and yet it appeared to be written by a patient.

I had to do a search on the Internet in order to discover who these people were and that they were, in fact, chiropractors.

From my perspective as the recipient, there were only two possible conclusions at which I could arrive. Either it was from a doctor posing as a patient… or from a patient posing as a doctor.

But the real red flag was the question posed to me by this anonymous person who called himself “Jim.”

“Why…do I need to be worried about using her and this machine, and why?”

Now those of you who are medical professionals probably recognize the danger lurking within that question. But the casual observer might not see the implications had I been foolish enough to answer it.

The way the question is worded whoever wrote it was trying to get me to give advice about a doctor I’ve never met and that I know nothing about.

I recognized it immediately as a possible attempt at entrapment.

What I saw was just another malicious chiropractor attempting to trick me into giving medical advice to one of his or her patients. It appeared to be nothing less than a clumsy and ridiculous attempt to lure me into breaking the law.

At the very least, they appeared to be trying to get something – anything — they could use against me.

It didn’t work. In fact, it blew up in their face.

I saw through it immediately. I considered it an insult to my intelligence and I chose to turn the tables on whoever wrote it and expose them as a warning to all chiropractors seeking to harm me in any fashion.

The damage this person has done to their reputation is permanent.

If you do an Internet search for “Disc Decompression of Delaware” you will notice that my article comes up in the top search results right next to their listings. That article will probably be there forever.

They will have that as a constant reminder that they (allegedly) tried to harm another human being. If I am mistaken and it was not an attempt to entrap me, then it will stand as a constant reminder that this doctor failed to conduct herself in a professional manner.

In either event, she did it to herself.

To this day, she doesn’t think she did anything wrong. She is still angry. She still blames me for her lack of courtesy and professional conduct.

*****

I suggest that all you chiropractors out there… if you’re going to pretend to be a doctor… you might want to start acting like the real McCoy.

You might want to start by learning something about professional conduct, ethical standards and common courtesy.

If you’re going to write to someone… and you have an honest and sincere question that you would like an answer to… I suggest that you identify yourself and that you don’t put someone else’s return address on it.

If you screw up in front of a journalist, chances are he’s going to write about it and more than likely you aren’t going to like the results.

*****

So, was I just being mean to these people who appeared to be trying to entrap me? Was I mean to this anonymous (and possibly fictitious) person named “Jim” who I believe tried to harm me? Was I wrong to turn the tables and expose their ridiculous little charade?

No, I don’t think so. All I did was give them a little slap on the wrist. All I did was write a silly little comedy sketch that illustrated exactly what happened.

Keep in mind that I did not initiate contact with them. They came after me. If I was mean and vindictive there is a lot more I could do. But I never had any interest in harming these people. Everything that happened… was a result of their actions.

I had nothing to do with it.

*****

This incident should serve as a very kind and gentle warning to all the chiropractors out there foolishly looking to get even with me simply because I publish information.

If you’re half as smart as you keep proclaiming to be… you would do well to count the cost. Before you attempt to come after me… ask yourself if it’s worth ruining your reputation over… possibly destroying your entire business… and maybe your entire future.

*****

For what it’s worth:

I do not diagnose patients. I do not treat patients. I never give medical advice. And the last thing I would ever do is advise any individual to stop seeing their doctor. Who you see or don’t see is none of my concern.

I confine my activities to researching and writing books and articles. I leave the practice of medicine and the treatment of patients to the medical professionals.

Which brings me to…

One Final Comparison:

I said at the beginning this was a story about comparisons. Well, we’ve seen how chiropractors act… now, if anyone’s interested, here’s what I never do:

1. I never send email to chiropractors (let alone hate mail)
2. I don’t post messages in their forums
3. I don’t visit their offices or interfere with their work
4. I don’t harass their patients
5. I don’t harass, intimidate or threaten them
6. I don’t try to shut down or interfere with their websites
7. I don’t interfere with their First Amendment right to publish information
8. I don’t attempt to badger or bait them into pointless debates
9. I don’t attempt to entrap them into doing something illegal or embarrassing
10. I don’t attempt to violate their civil rights

I don’t think it’s too much to ask to expect the same courtesy in return.

- Dean

*****

Related Links:

Disc Decompression Under Investigation

A Question of Integrity

Don’t I Need a Chiropractor?

***************

Well, seems I received an email from the good folks at Disc Decompression of Delaware concerning the mystery email I received from them last week. According to them, it was not a deliberate attempt to deceive me.

Here is Dr. Pat Wendel’s explanation of what happened:

My patient base in Claymont, Delaware consists of an older clientele, many of whom do not have computers or access to the internet. Last week, a patient asked me my opinion of your advice and what your credentials were. I read briefly through your radical opinions and was amazed at your seemingly personal axe to grind. Before that time, I was not even aware of your existence, let alone your scathing opinion of chiropractic.

[snip]

Back to the point, our office allows our patients to access the web on our laptop in the waiting area. Usually patients use it to look up drug interactions and information relative to their particular health conditions. Apparently, one gentleman sent you an e-mail.

So, mystery solved.

If this is what happened… perhaps in the future they will rethink their policy of allowing patients to have free and unsupervised access to their business accounts. After all, they gave this person permission to use their computer, and by so doing, they gave their consent to be a party to anything he chose to do on it.

Under the circumstances, they are responsible for any email sent in their name whether they like it or not.

I wonder if I’ll ever receive an apology?

Maybe if I hold my breath.

- Dean

***

BTW, any of you doctors have expensive laptop computers in your waiting rooms?

***

The Continuing Saga:

Dumb Day, Part 3: Whatever Happened to Courtesy?

**************

Okay, whose decision was it to hold National Dumb Day and not tell me?

I mean I checked the Ozark Feed and Grain calendar (Yeah, the good one with the tractors and combines on it.), the Barry County HogCaller, the Penny Saver, AND the Dirt Farmer’s Almanac and not one of them sorry rascals deemed it necessary to inform me that last Monday was the official celebration of this illustrious event.

So, as you can imagine, I was totally caught with my overalls a danglin’ and nary a howdy-do for the collection of dim-witted, muddle-headed and… okay, I’ll come right out with it… just plain dumb questions I received this past July 2nd.

Mind you I get my fair share of email and, generally speaking, the bulk of it is from normal folk with normal questions and what not. I try to answer as much of it as I can and don’t make a habit of picking on folks for no reason.

After all, sometimes you have to ask a few nuggets if you expect to sift the wheat from the chaff. But for some reason last Monday the muttonheads and halfwits were literally coming out of the woodwork.

I probably received more scatter-brained correspondence on that one day than I have since Billy Bob fell off the barn. I don’t know if the heat was frying their brains or if they were all just drunk with joy over the prospect of a holiday in the middle of the week. All I know is that, on that particular day, my cup runneth over.

Now normally I wouldn’t publish what amounts to a private give-n-take, but I’m going to make an exception for one of the gems that took a notion to grace my inbox.

Keep in mind as you ponder it… that I’m not criticizing the spelling or the poor grammar. That sorta thing’s normal ‘round these parts. Ain’t like we’re stuck on all that book-learnin’ and such. No sir, that’s not the part that got my attention.

I didn’t edit nary a word. This is exactly what it said:

I read you article and have been going to a chiropractor for over 15 years. She also has a disc decompression machine that has helped many people. Why…do I need to be worried about using her and this machine, and why?
Jim

Sounds like a real question from a real person now doesn’t it?

Sounds like they’ve been happily seeing their chiropractor for nigh on 15 years. Goes on to say this here chiropractor has a machine that has “helped many people.”

Stops short of the usual “amazing results” and “only thing that got me going again,” but I reckon it will suffice.

Sounds like ole Jim is one satisfied cowpoke if you ask me.

But there’s just one teensy little problem with this message.

The sender was listed as “Disk Decompression of Delaware“ and the email address was discdocde@comcast.net

Yessir, I kid you not. The hombre that wrote this lovely bit of twinkley-do was so intelligent he actually sent it using a business email account.

Don’t know about you, but that just got me to scratchin’ my noggin:

• Why did this feller send me a fake email?
• Why was he posing as a patient?
• What was the point?
• What did he hope to accomplish?

It wasn’t like I was looking to find some way to ferret out the bad guys. All I was doin’ was sittin’ there mindin’ my own business and this here feller just walked up to the front door and said, “Howdy, Pardner. Mind if I shoot mahself in the foot?”

*****

References and Such:

I did me a search on this here interweb thing-a-ma-bob and I couldn’t find this feller Jim anywhere’s about. But perhaps these nice folks know who he is and can give him a hat-tip and a howdy-do next time they see him:

New Castle County Chamber of Commerce

The Continuing Saga:

Dumb Day, Part 2: Response from Disc Decompression of Delaware

Dumb Day, Part 3: Whatever Happened to Courtesy?

****************

I ran across this rather amusing anecdote posted by GruntDoc about the guidelines for chiropractors in the ER, which I won’t quote from since he prefers that you read it in context.

However, Orac of scienceblogs fame made a rather astute observation in respect to GruntDoc’s post:

Whatever benefits (or lack thereof) chiropractic may have in the treatment of chronic back pain, one thing you can say about alternative medical treatments with some confidence is that they are in general pretty useless for acute problems of the kind seen in most emergency rooms. Next they’ll be calling chiropractors in to treat spinal fractures.

Sums it up pretty well if you ask me. (By the way, if you’re curious about my opinions concerning chiropractic treatment be sure to read: Don’t I Need a Chiropractor?)

But putting all that aside, what was also interesting was a comment about rebound headaches left on the post by A Bohemian Road Nurse that reads as follows:

I’ve also found a lot of people with constant “migraine” headaches whereby Immitrex, narcotics and NSAIDS are not working are really having “rebound headaches”. My sister, who suffered from just such a headache merry-go-round didn’t believe me about the existence of rebound headaches. But she reluctantly tried my suggestion of weaning herself from pain meds. After three days of misery, she was headache free. It worked. Now, she only gets the ocasional “real” migraine, around her menstrual cycle, for which Immitrex DOES now work. (I know this doesn’t cover everybody, but it is a thought to consider for some people with lots of headaches….)

I first heard of rebound headaches a few years back from (I believe it was) Dateline NBC. The gist of the story was that constant use of NSAIDS like Ibuprofen can actually lead to worse headaches once the medication wears off.

It eventually turns into a vicious cycle.

I can’t help but wonder if there might not be a similar “rebound back pain” associated with over-reliance on pain meds for the treatment of back and neck problems. It would explain why a lot of minor injuries develop into chronic problems.

I’m sure there is a flaw in my logic somewhere… I’m just thinking out loud.

Dean

Now that I’ve got the remodeling out of the way I finally have a chance to get caught up on some old business. First on that list has to be setting the record straight on an unfortunate incident that occurred in the Rebuilder’s Forum awhile back.

Suffice it to say that I have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to flaming posts and so it should come as no shock that libel and defamation is also considered inappropriate behavior.

(Fortunately, I never have to enforce these rules with the real members of the group. The only problems we’ve had with this sort of behavior has come from chiropractors.)

Here’s the Deal

The incident in question occurred when a chiropractor and acupuncturist using the screen name, “Hugo Posh” felt compelled to make the following remark in reference to Dr. Stephen Barrett, a highly respected consumer advocate and founder of Quackwatch, a website that I often make reference to here at RYB.

Hugo’s exact words were:

“This guy calls him a “Quackpot.” I will accept Barrett as being incompetent. I
also still stand [by] my statement that there is some useful information on his
website.”

He then saw fit to include several other defamatory and libelous quotes made by his friend including this particular gem:

Records show that Barrett never achieved any success in the medical profession. His claim to being a “retired Psychiatrist” is laughable. He is, in fact, a “failed Psychiatrist,” and a “failed MD.”

Hugo then proceeds to quote some additional remarks made by “this guy” as though that person was some sort of an authority when, in fact, the man was — by his own admission — simply hired to write those remarks.

Now as tempting as it would be to get sidetracked discussing “this guy,” I believe I’ll leave that for a later date and focus instead on the real issue at hand. That is, Hugo’s allegation that Dr. Barrett is somehow incompetent and that he was a failed psychiatrist and a failed MD.

Where’s the Proof?

Now what sort of thought process did Hugo go through to arrive at this particular conclusion?

Other than quoting “some guy,” does he have firsthand information to back up that statement? Did he actually investigate this personally? Has he ever worked with Dr. Barrett? Has he ever personally witnessed Dr. Barrett working with patients?

Has he, for that matter, ever even met Dr. Barrett?

Does he even know anyone who has met Dr. Barrett?

Or Was It A Total Fabrication?

Hugo’s “source” claims that “records show” Dr. Barrett never achieved any success in the medical profession, but what Hugo failed to notice is that his source failed to produce those records… or any citation to where they can be found.

If those records do exist wouldn’t it be advantageous to simply produce the documents and dispel any doubt? Seems like the competent thing to do, don’t you think?

So let’s have it.

Where is this evidence?

Where is the testimony of Dr. Barrett’s colleagues and co-workers? Where is the documentation? Where are the newspaper reports? Where are the medical records? Where are the copies of his financial statement or tax records?

Can these people present ANY evidence of what they consider “incompetence” or lack of success as a medical doctor?

He said the records exist… and you can bet if such evidence actually existed these people would be the first to publish it for the entire world to see.

So where is it?

Just More False Claims

What gives Hugo the right to proclaim that Dr. Barrett is incompetent?

No one has presented a single shred of evidence anywhere that would support such an irresponsible, unprofessional, unethical, self-serving, defamatory and libelous accusation.

But does that bother Mr. Chiropractor?

Apparently not… and why should it? After all, his entire professional career is based on unsubstantiated claims. Why should this be any different?

Like all chiropractors… everything he says is made up out of thin air. Evidence has absolutely no meaning to him. He apparently doesn’t even understand the concept.

No Ground to Stand On

Why does Hugo desperately want other people to believe that Dr. Barrett is incompetent or that he was a failure?

Simple… he hopes it will deflect your attention away from the truth.

Dr. Barrett has been exposing the criminal activities of quacks and frauds for over 40 years. Those quacks and frauds hate him with a passion. They would like nothing better than to find some way — any way — to discredit him.

They attack his reputation because they can’t challenge him on the facts. They have absolutely nothing to refute the mountain of evidence against them and so they resort to lowball tactics in hopes of deflecting attention away from themselves and off of the real issues at hand.

What they don’t realize (because they’re not very bright) is that their unwitting attempts to smear a good man’s name… simply serves to reveal their true colors.

Nobody’s Buying It

You see it has nothing to do with Dr. Barrett.

What difference does it make whether Dr. Barrett was a good psychiatrist or not? It’s totally irrelevant to any discussion of quackery and alternative medicine.

What difference does a past professional occupation have on the work the man is engaged in now?

None whatsoever. It has no bearing on the issue.

By the way, I’m sure he was a very good doctor and anyone that actually knows him will probably be happy to tell you so.

The Man’s Work Speaks For Itself

Dr. Barrett meticulously documents everything he presents on his site.

Unlike the quacks and health frauds he exposes… he does not ask you to take anything on face value.

You can follow-up and do your own research on all of his articles. You do not have to believe as he does, and I am sure he would be very disappointed if you did not make the effort to investigate these vital and controversial topics for yourself.

He does not ask you to take his word for anything… and I have tried to follow his example as I present evidence for your consideration on this site. I too, hope that you will not merely take what I write (which naturally represents my personal opinion) and just accept it as gospel.

I hope that you will use it as a starting point for your own investigation.

It’s A Question of Freedom

Dr. Barrett has the right to conduct his research… present his information… and to express his opinions. He has the right to do so without being attacked or having his reputation smeared.

Furthermore, you have the right to have access to that information if you so desire.

Chiropractors like Hugo apparently don’t want you to have that opportunity. They want to have the freedom to do and say and believe whatever they want… but they don’t want you and I to have that same freedom.

They do not want you to think for yourself.

If You Disagree With Dr. Barrett

Personally, I’m not really concerned with whether you agree or disagree with something that Dr. Barrett (or any other consumer advocate) presents on his or her website. It’s really none of my business.

I do care however, that you have the opportunity to examine it. That’s why I take the time to write about it … and link to it … so you can be aware of its existence.

All any of us in the anti-quackery community can do is give you food for thought. We can’t make you do anything. We don’t wish to interfere with your freedom of choice. And we are not trying to think for you.

We are only trying to present a side to the story you might not have heard before.

We are simply presenting evidence.

If you have a problem with something Dr. Barrett writes, show me the evidence that refutes the research. Don’t come to me with nonsense about how he wasn’t very good at hopscotch in the 3rd grade and, therefore, no one should believe anything he writes. (Especially, when this irrelevant tripe is nothing more than fabricated innuendo.)

The Final Analysis

You see Hugo despises the good doctor because Stephen Barrett is smarter than he is, more professional than he is, more ethical that he is, more accomplished than he is, and in a word … more competent than he is.

And the beauty of this whole situation is you can discover the level of education, intelligence and competence of Dr. Barrett’s work simply by reading it for yourself.

You may not agree with everything he writes… but I guarantee it will give you something to think about.

As always,
Dean

Not long ago a chiropractor going by the screen name chiromed0 literally came unglued and proceeded to attack me in my forum over a statement I made in one of my articles comparing his so-called doctorate to “a two-year technical degree in knuckle cracking.”

I attempted to reply to his barrage of criticism but when he refused to conduct himself with any semblance of professionalism (and even started snapping at other members of the group) I simply banned him and deleted his inappropriate postings.

After all, that sort of behavior is just not acceptable in our friendly little group.

He was more than happy to be banned by the way, as it allowed him to run back to his friends at Chiroweb and play the martyr. So everyone went away happy in the end.

Just Expressing My Opinion

Yes, I know my original statement was insensitive… I have since edited that remark out of the article in question… not because it was wrong… but because it could be mistaken for a statement of fact, rather than merely me expressing my personal opinion.

Besides, as it was, the remark was not germane to the context of the article and I intended to edit it long before he complained… I just hadn’t gotten around to it.

Setting the Record Straight

What I have finally gotten around to is a long overdue article on the subject of chiropractic education entitled: Medical School or Fraud Factory? An Inside Look at Chiropractic College

I just can’t help wondering if he would still attempt to defend his diploma-mill doctorate after reading what his fellow chiropractors have to say in this latest article?

Take care,
Dean

The following are just a few excerpts I pulled from an article written by physical therapist, Paul Lee about the dangers of spinal manipulation particularly in relation to the cervical spine:

“Cervical manipulation, especially with rotation (the most commonly used method by chiropractors), should be considered a contraindicated technique.”

In light of the number of injuries (and deaths due to stroke) following chiropractic neck adjustments, medical professionals like Lee are urging their colleagues to pay closer attention to the patient’s recent treatment history when they present neck related symptoms. He further advises:

“All healthcare professions, including Emergency Room staff, must be alert to the possibility of injuries caused by spinal manipulative therapy (SMT). The patient’s medical history should include questions about possible spinal manipulation within the last 30 days, at the very least.”

He goes on to write:

“Physical Therapists should encourage patients with such injuries to report them to their own doctors. (I can’t be the only PT who has encountered patients with fractured spines, spinal stenosis, herniated discs, paralysis, stable fractures made unstable, severe sprains and strains, torn muscles, and unremitting headaches for years, all as a direct result of a specific chiropractic adjustment…”

There is a growing body of evidence that spinal manipulation can cause injury and even death especially when applied to the cervical spine. The medical profession is just beginning to understand and compile evidence about this very serious health risk to patients.

I strongly urge all medical professionals, chiropractors and anyone considering chiropractic treatment to carefully investigate all the facts surrounding this issue. A good place to start would be to read Paul Lee’s entire article, Risks Related to Manipulation of the Cervical Spine.

(Update added 10/11/2006)

Also, be sure to check out this latest article on the subject: How Chiropractic Damages Your Spine.

– Dean

The following are excerpts from a letter to Life University graduates by Dr. Allen Botnick, DC concerning his ongoing efforts to prepare a legal defense on their behalf. (Added emphasis is mine.)

AN OPEN LETTER TO LIFE UNIVERSITY CHIROPRACTIC ALUMNI

Dear Life University College of Chiropractic alumnus,

I have previously written that I am preparing a defense of student loans for Life graduates…

It is well known that Life University violated Council on Chiropractic accreditation requirements and that this led to their loss of accreditation in 2001…

The violations involved a scheme where Life University advertised to prospective students that they would be taught legitimate differential diagnosis…

The affected alumni were not trained to diagnose accurately, (instead were taught to) order excessive x-rays, delay necessary medical treatment and are commiting malpractice in many states…

While some outdated state laws, legal judgments and medical board opinions support chiropractic analysis for “subluxations” as a scope of practice, the practice is always unsafe and leads to poor outcomes in patient care…

This scope of practice has no future. By not identifying which problems can legitimately be helped by treatment, individuals practicing this way commit insurance abuse through overutilization…

A serious effect of this overutilization is that it puts patients at risk for adverse effects such as joint sprains and strokes from unnecessary manipulation…

In order to avoid harming patients all chiropractors who do not (know) how to perform a differential diagnosis must surrender their licenses and stop practicing immediately. Failure to do this puts graduates at risk for individual charges of malpractice and insurance abuse…

In the case of Life University, the state law violations are breach of contract for not providing the differential diagnosis instuction and lack of properly qualified faculty, potential fraud and false advertising. Because you can not practice as a chiropractor with this training you may be entitled to claim a large amount of damages that could completely eliminate your student loans.

Best regards,
Allen Botnick DC
Life University College of Chiropractic
Magna Cum Laude, 1996.

The full text of Dr Botnick’s letter, which should be of particular interest to Life University graduates can be found at this Chirotalk forum post.

Two chiropractors — Eric and Christopher Topel of Atlanta, Georgia - have been sentenced in United States District Court on charges of health care fraud.

The two brothers were convicted of these charges in February, 2006 and both were sentenced on June 2nd, 2006 to 2 years, 10 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, during which they each will be required to perform 350 hours of community service.

A very light sentence considering that they could have received as much as 10 years in prison for the offense.

According to a press release issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation: From approximately late 2003 into 2005, at various back pain clinics within the state of Georgia, the two chiropractors engaged in insurance fraud scams that together attempted to bilk Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia out of almost $2 Million.

The scheme involved false billing for a non-surgical back pain procedure known as Veterbral Axial Decompression or “VAX-D.”

Blue Cross considers VAX-D to be investigational and not medically necessary, and has made it clear to health care providers that it does not cover the procedure. However, the Topels devised a way to receive reimbursement from Blue Cross for this non-covered procedure anyway.

Their plan involved misleading Blue Cross into believing they were performing other services. Or, to but it bluntly, they lied and submitted billing for services that they did not perform… but that the insurance provider would cover.

Specifically, the Topels used an inapplicable medical billing code on their insurance claims that pertained only to surgical procedures, rather than the medical billing code for VAX-D.

The pair also went so far as to instruct their employees not to call the procedure “VAX-D” when speaking to Blue Cross representatives, and to conceal references to “VAX-D” in the patient files.

In other words, they falsified medical records.

As part of the scheme, BPI of Columbus billed Blue Cross for over $630,000, and BPI of Albany billed Blue Cross for over $860,000, all for VAX-D. During the same time period, Christopher Topel’s Atlanta-based clinics also billed Blue Cross for over $800,000 for VAX-D procedures.

Among the chiropractic clinics involved were:

• The Back Pain Institute of Albany, Georgia (”BPI of Albany”)
• The Back Pain Institute of Columbus, Georgia (”BPI of Columbus”)
• As well as several other back pain clinics in the metropolitan Atlanta area.

After the sentencing, United States Attorney David E. Nahmias made the following statement:

“The Topels were health care providers who, between the two of them, cheated Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia out of over $2 million. By doing so, the Topels sought to enrich themselves at the expense of ordinary Americans who pay Blue Cross premiums. Those who would engage in similar schemes should take notice of the consequences of engaging in fraudulent billing practices that contribute to escalating health care costs for all.”

I believe a round of applause goes to the special agents of the FBI who investigated this case, the prosecuting attorneys (Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Anand and Teresa D. Hoyt) United States Attorney David E. Nahmias and United States District Judge William S. Duffey, Jr. for all their hard work in putting the bad guys where they belong.

http://atlanta.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel06/healthcarefraud060206.htm