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Michael Burke's Back Issues

Chiropractic, Science, Reason, and Ridicule

Ridicule is the only weapon that can be used against unintelligible propositions. Ideas must be distinct before reason can act upon them.

- Thomas Jefferson

Topics

Chiroland

Here is an introduction to the bizarre world of chiropractic - the terms, perspectives and beliefs of the parallel chiropractic universe.

From Woo-Woo to Wisdom

Some of the crazy things I did and believed before I wised up (mostly), how I got from there to here, and how I see things now.

The Forensic Chiropractor

Forensics is the application of science to legal cases. Lessons learned from my experiences as an independent medical examiner and forensic consultant are discussed here.

DIY

These posts discuss some common problems that respond to do-it-yourself measures (and I don't mean popping your own neck or back).

The Plural of Anecdote

There are a lot of case studies demonstrating the success of chiropractic adjustments for various ailments. For many chiropractors, these...

Pop! Crack! Crunch!

What makes that popping noise when your spine is adjusted? Does it matter if it pops, cracks, snaps, crunches or makes no sound at all?...

The Unsubluxated Chiropractor

"Is there a difference between an adjustment performed by a chiropractor who is a subluxation believer and an adjustment from someone who...

The Case of the Phantom Testicle

History is not an unarguable litany of events. — John C. Willis (Notes from the editor. Chiropractic History 1996 (June); 16(1): 2xx)...

Selling Shoes / Selling Chiropractic

“Would you like to see a beautiful purse to go with those shoes?” I was 22 years old, fresh out of college, and a salesman at Leed’s...

The Man From Woo - Part 2

My naiveté, gullibility, and foolishness did not cease upon entering chiropractic college. I recall only one class, taught in the first...

Do You Really Need To See a DC?

A Guide for People Seeking Chiropractic Treatment One evening my daughter called me from the city where she was attending college. She...

The Silent Killer - epilogue

In previous posts (The Silent Killer - part 1 and part 2) I discussed the irrationality of the chiropractic premise of vertebral...

The Silent Killer - part 2

This image is a graphic depiction of how nerves from the spine go to the various organs in the human body. Versions of it can be found on...

4 Red Light Exercises

When my godson was around 8 years old I told him the following joke, which he then ran around repeating to anyone who would listen: Some...

Don't Crack Your Neck!

The scenario goes something like this: You're under a lot of stress and your neck feels tight. This morning you drove all over town...

The Silent Killer - part 1

Vertebral subluxation, the basic premise of chiropractic, is wrong. D.D. Palmer's second chiropractic theory, from which the traditional...

Chiroland Begins - part 3

D.D. Palmer was the Founder of chiropractic, but son B.J., the Developer, was truly the architect of Chiroland. B.J. was born in What...

Chiroland Begins - part 2

From 1902 to 1903 and again from 1906 on, D.D. traveled around the U.S. starting schools in several locations like a Johnny Appleseed of...

Chiroland Begins - part 1

"A science that hesitates to forget its founders is lost." There would be no chiropractic today without Daniel David Palmer (1845 - 1913)...

On Ridicule

The word ridicule in the subtitle of this blog requires an explanation. Attempts to argue with those who hold unfounded, erroneous beliefs…

Everyone Tells You to Sit Up Straight But …

… no one shows you how. You don't sit up straight because whenever someone told you to, your back soon became tired and you slumped...

The Money Hum

At Life Chiropractic College in Marietta, Georgia, solicitation of patients was aggressive. Students at Life spent more time in the...

The Man From Woo - Part 1

There was a young man from Woo Whose ideas came out of the blue He thought he was clever But reasoned he never That silly young man from...

Observations of a Forensic Chiropractor

He approached me with his right hand outstretched, a car salesman smile on his young face. I stood up from the bench in the courthouse...

Welcome to Chiroland

Chiroland is a fantasy land filled with thrill rides and other attractions. In Chiroland the rides include treatment tables. You can ride...

Chiropractic is a Funny Word

The word seems to beg the question: Chiropractic what? The clumsiness of this word should itself be a warning to potential patients that …

Are Chiropractors Really Doctors?

Being called doctor is very important to a chiropractor. During my first few years in practice it irked me when I was addressed as mister...

Michael Burke's Back Issues

Topics

Chiroland

From Woo-Woo to Wisdom

The Forensic Chiropractor

DIY

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