For MD's and Other Healthcare Providers

You may have come across chiropractors, either personally, or via advertising materials who have presented peculiar or irrational information that is not clinically grounded. At Suncoast Healthcare Professionals, we sympathize with your aversion to this. Within chiropractic, there is a growing divide between those who choose evidence-based and outcome-based practice, and those who continue to adhere to 100 year old dogma. These fringe practitioners adhere to concepts that have not progressed with the scientific literature, and use these concepts to sell their services to the public. This is a problem within my profession.

Sadly, being separate and distinct from the medical system, combined with the narrow and unfair reimbursements of the 3rd party payer system, fosters these types of behaviors. Nevertheless, the majority of chiropractic physicians continue to improve their clinical standards and are blending into mainstream healthcare. DC's who obtain postgraduate degrees/certifications and who integrate into orthopedics and sports medicine have always been part of this clinically sound group.

At Suncoast Healthcare Professionals, your patients will receive a thorough history, physical examination, and logical treatment program. You are always welcome to call, email, or to come to the office and observe what we provide. In addition, our care protocols are not made up, they have been designed from advanced curricula, are modified according to clinical efficacy, and anchored by research from peer reviewed scientific journals. Questions are welcomed, even encouraged, and we are more than happy to facilitate proper educational ties between our professions.

You're NOT Obtaining Modern Chiropractic Care if the Chiropractor:

• Insists on taking lots of x-rays to find bones out of place before performing a clinical examination in the area of complaint. Bones become fixated, the spine may have abnormal position in respect to gravity and published normal values, but bones are not out of place…that’s an anatomical dislocation. X-rays are a necessary diagnostic tool, provide valuable clinical information, and help to rule out patients not fit for spinal manipulation, but normally a few views are all that’s needed.
• Bases treatment only on the "removal of vertebral subluxations" and does not care about symptoms, physiological dysfunction, functional rehabilitation or structural rehabilitation.
• Has lots of literature in their office that is anti-medical.
• Preaches their ability to "detect and correct interference with the expression of innate intelligence in the body", (like they are some magical guru) *Chiropractic is based on sound biomechanics, physiology, and neurology principles. Make sure your chiropractor can explain this intelligently, using common medical terminology.
• "Does not diagnose." [It's a doctor's duty to diagnose...by law.]
• Uses pseudoscience to preach that all human ailments are caused by the elusive "vertebral subluxation", or uses scare tactics to solicit for business, such as preaching that "vertebral subluxations are silent killers." The “subluxation complex” is a valid construct, but treatment and assessment should be based on scientific validity, along with an orthopedic, neurological and functional examination, not philosophy alone. Outcome measures such as the Oswestry, SF-36, and Neck Disability Index should be utilized.
• Uses terminology not understandable by other healthcare professionals, or worse yet, does not refer patients to other healthcare professionals when warranted.
• Calls themselves "straight" or "principled" chiropractors, (like all others have no principles).
• Uses only one tool or proprietary technique, and disregards palliative or rehabilitative treatments such as interferential stimulation, biofeedback, exercise and physical therapy, nutrition, and therapeutic massage. Humans are dynamic and varied individuals, you cannot place them within one treatment paradigm. Many of these patients need not only a varied approach within the Chiropractic field, but also the Medical field.
• Signs the patient up for "Care Contracts" in which the patient has pre-determined treatment days for the year, may not undergo periodic re-exam for progress, and in which the patient is penalized for missing an appointment or not continuing care…this is unethical and illegal.
• Orders multiple diagnostic tests performed in their office with equipment that lacks scientific validation before less expensive, clinically appropriate methods are tried. Uses newfangled gadgets and technology for all patient care and assessment. **NOTE: Look for peer reviewed literature supporting all newer diagnostic assessment and treatment tools.

What To Do About This:

Ask logical questions and expect logical answers, or send your patients elsewhere! Go to the chiropractor's web site and see what kind of information is presented. Ask the Chiropractor about his/her training, what graduate level training or post doctoral certifications they hold, and what organizations they are credentialed through.

This esoteric, dogmatic minority within the chiropractic profession, threatens those who desire advancement, integration into the medical mainstream, or a network of competent healthcare providers for their patients. The true difference between the chiropractic community and the medical community isn’t science, its the type of care we deliver…anatomy and physiology are the same in either field! This dogmatic minority in chiropractic may be harmful to the public by not providing accurate diagnoses, quality care, or legitimate referral options.

There is no "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval" for Healthcare Providers. Please consider taking the time to meet one-on-one with a few chiropractors. Maybe discuss a case, and get a sense of which chiropractors help your patients. This would be the same process you would take with any other provider, MD, PT, DO, etc. All doctors are not created equal, some are great, some are pathetic…some just don’t care anymore. Rest assured that the chiropractic physicians at Suncoast Healthcare Professionals are at the top of our profession, adhere to ethical standards of care and strive for optimal clinical relationships with other healthcare professionals for the benefit of the patient first.

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