The NSW arm of the Chiropractors' Association of Australia is trying to get a foot into Emergency Departments (EDs) in NSW.
They say they want to work in EDs to treat patients, and they say they will save the hospital system hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
They claim they would save thousands of admissions of patients with musculoskeletal problems.
Of course doctor groups are against this for the obvious reasons. No evidence to back up Chiropractics claims.
Doctor groups claim that paracetamol plus early mobilisation for back complaints particularly lower back pain is as effective as Chiropractic care.
Read the article in todays newspaper at the link below.
Sydney Morning Herald Article
How arrogant are the doctor groups in this. Do they think they have all the answers - the answer is a definite no in my case.
ReplyDeleteAlmost 30 years ago I had a diving accident and injured my neck, besides opening a large gash (about 20cm) in my scalp. Having the wound sewn up was the easy, and obvious, part. Despite complaining of neck and upper thoracic (between the shoulder blades) pain, the prescription was pain killers which had virtually no effect except drowsiness. The orthpedic surgeon's advice was to treat the problem symptomatically.
After being hospitalised a week, on release it took another week to see a chiropractor. His first adjustment provided immediate and complete pain relief to the thoracic area. The neck also obtained immediate but not so complete relief, being nore seriously injured. It also took longer to recover an adequate range of movement, and it still gives me problems today.
So I ended up suffering more than I really needed to for a fortnight. I often wonder that if I could have had chiropractic treatment on day 1, would my neck function be better now? That I will never know.
There must be many more people with stories similar to mine who could have been helped and had much reduced pain sooner with chiropractic treatment. To deliberately deprive people of that option when the most good can be achieved is the height of ignorance through arrogance.
In addition to my comment above, check this link out:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.chiroweb.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=15395
Thanks for responding Anonymous.
ReplyDeleteI am not convinced of the effectiveness of Chiropractors care.
It seems you have gained some benefit from Chiropractic care. My father used to use a Chiropractor occasionally for back pain with good effect, he swore by them.
I have to go with the evidence and not just anecdotal evidence.
According to Edzard Ernst the first complementary professor in the world, he is at Exeter University in England.
He has done, as you would expect, extensive research into complementary medicine. Chiropracty being a complementary medicine, he says that for back pain there is evidence that chiropractic care can assist. But it is not necessarily more effective than conventional medicine using analgesia and early mobilisation.
He also says that the evidence shows that you should see a chiropractor for back pain only.
Of course some Chiropractors claim they can help in all sorts of conditions from asthma, ear infections, irritable bowel etc, etc.
Wombatwal,
ReplyDeleteFrom personal experience, I have to disagree. Chiropractic is much more effective than "analgesia and early mobilisation." Believe me, I've tried the analgesia and mobilisation approach and it simply does not work. Chiropractic has also worked for my headaches, neck aches, shoulder and arm pain, and asthma relief (not cure) among other problems.
I realise this is anecdotal only, but the evidence is there if only the medical profession were prepared to open their eyes and get past their "not invented here" syndrome.
Look at the treatment of one of their own, Dr Barry Marshal from Perth, who with Robin Warren discovered the real cause of stomach ulcers. Barry had to take his work overseas in order to progress his research because he dared to differ with the mainstream medical opinion in Australia, which he proved had no basis in fact. Barry and Robin were subsequently vindicated and received a much deserved Nobel Prize for their work.
So, in the face of this type of Luddite thinking from the medical profession against their own, chiropractors have almost no chance of a rational dialogue with them.
Anonymous.
ReplyDeleteThe Perth researchers research into stomach ulcers is a good example of the scientific process winning through.
Their research was good and sound and obviously all of the "boxes were ticked". Science had to take note because of it's strength.
If chiropractic research is as good it will win through, so far it has not.
Do the good research and have science stand up and take note, then it will be received favourably. But it has not as yet.
Anecdotal evidence is worth nothing in science. Do the good research and you can't fail.
Aw I think it break my neck too. It was reading your blog. Is that really happen that a chiropractors breaking their neck just to get into NSW emergency department?
ReplyDeletehouston chiropractor