Q: 

Thanks for all your e-mails.  I appreciate them.
I have a quick ques. for you.  You mentioned in one posting that a student was upset over 
Chiropractors lack of finding harmony.  My ques. is this...
I assume the lack of harmony lies in the diff. philosophies and belief systems.
With this in mind, I ask myself, isn't it the goal of every Chiropractor to keep, not only the 
brainstem clear from interference, BUT for months at a time without Chiropractic intervention?  My 
ans., yes.  EVERYONE'S answere is YES.  THIS is where we ALL agree.  Why then, are all 
those belief systems out there that create waves within the Chir. field, out there in the first place if 
98% of all the Chiro. techniques/ philosophies are not allowing INNATE to enter the body and heal 
the body by keeping that area free from subluxation AND chirop. interference for MONTHS at a 
time?  There should be NO DOUBT in anyone's mind, but to strive for the technique that keeps 
that neck and spine strong and straight for months at a time.  There are Chiropractors doing this on 
a reg. basis.  Where are all the other 98% of Chiropractors ?   Glorified physical therapy?  Of 
course we should have problems accepting eachother when 98% of the Chiropractors possess the 
ability to heal cancer and go only half way with it.   I have had it when I hear over and over and 
over again, that people I hear of and know personally are never helped and only "helped along", by 
general Chiropractors, until they find an HIO Chiropractor.  This crap needs to end and the school 
needs to recognize that the greatest Chiropractors in the world, including BJ Palmer, not only share 
the same technique, but are the greatest because the get results.  They get results because they 
adhere 100% to the only scientific research ever performed in history that proved the HIO to be 
correct in principle.  Everyone's comments at school are... but everybody is different.
Why can they not see the simple picture that these are the only student clinicians and Chiropractors 
out there who are allowing their patients to hold for months (the most important aspect we all agree 
on in the first place).  Secondly, according to the anatomy classes I have taken, everyone is the 
SAME.  We possess an Atlas, and Axis and a brainstem, along with the capacity to heal 100%, 
neurologically AND structually, in time (permanantly - only by keeping away from the spine).  So 
why do they say, everyone reacts differently?  In the long run, permanant, structural changes ARE 
NOT being made in the patients of general chiropractors who do not use instrumentation.  

 I'm mad.  Help me out.  :))  Thanks,

My answer:


Wow .. for a short question it requires a long answer .. but there is the rub .. there is no specific answer that will be agreed 
upon by everyone.

The tragedy of chiropractic is the diversity. I remember when I taught my class about 1 1/2 years ago .. there was a student 
that thought he was the best adjuster in the world. His confidence level was so high that he attracted a number of followers 
that clung around him like groupies. Hey .. he was this way even in 1st quarter .. when I met him he was in 14th.

Every teacher that instructed him couldn't stand him and vice versa. Obviously .. being that I was on campus for my one class 
only .. I could give a rat's ass about him and his clingons .. all I wanted to do is reach as many students as possible including 
him.

This brings me to the point. During one lecture .. I was discussing scheduling new patients and determining a criteria of 
progress and the difference between relief and corrective care. Now .. since this was a theoretical and class of practicality .. it 
is used as a tool .. not as an absolute. Therefore .. when he questioned me about my criteria with patients and what research 
papers I passed along my opinions with .. and how many pounds of x-rays have I changed from position a to position b .. I 
saw this as a typical day in the life of this soon to be DC .. a day when he placed himself over and above his instructors and 
used his power of persuasion to insult them and boost is self esteem and place him even higher on the clingon food chain. 
Obviously there are folks like him in every walk of life .. usually they do move and shake things and get things done .. 
therefore .. I respected his enthusiasm and told him so.  But .....

Okay .. I asked .. what technic will you be using considering his criteria is so strident .. his research so precise .. his ability 
to make changes so accurate and 100%. His reply .. he was going to take out his slide rule and use the CBP methods .. as x-
ray changes are the only criteria and all other DC's .. 97% or more DC's were actual frauds (his words). 

OK .. what about Activator methods I replied .. they do not use x-rays as heavily as CBP folks .. Oh no ..he said they sure 
do .. you must make an x-ray change!

Then someone got very upset and was strong enough to get their point across (by the way .. this is exactly what I hoped to 
create .. a dialogue on diversity and therefore we possibly can find common ground) .. they were going to use Network 
Chiropractic .. less force more harmonious neural connections and all. But .. would you believe that another student (by the 
way this day was pressed deep in my memory banks as it was a great lesson for all) this one doing strict Gonstead .. said the 
magical words .. Find it .. Fix It .. Leave it alone .. wow .. what a concept. Can you do this without frying people with 
radiation .. without placing them with medieval halters head and neck gear???

Anyway .. I had to take control and stopped the level of negativity that began to foment .. this one guy was probably pissing 
more than half the class off for 13+ quarters and they didn't need anymore lectures or holier than thou reports from him.

Okay .. my concluding remarks were as such. I went back to the basics of chiropractic philosophy .. that which truly mends 
us chiropractors together .. whether all of us know it or not .. and the principals are always the same. Educatedly .. we strive 
to make the best decisions with the information at hand. Innately .. the body .. with the least amount or with the greatest 
amount of interference makes the best decisions at the precise moment in time. For a humble human being .. using calculators 
.. computer programming or whatever to determine the placement of human tissue or bones is ridiculous. Yes .. we should 
strive for the best direction of an adjustment .. yes .. we should challenge the body as best we can to determine true moment 
by moment body language .. yes .. we should use the best leg checks .. motion palpation .. and any and all devices our 
educated minds can garner to determine when and how to find it .. fix it .. and leave it alone.  But .. which technic? 

Upper cervical specific .. instrumentation or not .. with an upper cervical tool or using hands only .. with torque or without .. 
with body drop or without ..with a forward motion headpiece or without .. with post and posted post x-ray analysis or 
without. Or .. should we approach the spinal problem from the foundation ala Logan Basic or perianal adjustment .. or use 
light force only with an Activator .. or should be use the variations on this theme as well .. maybe Network .. maybe using 
blocks as with SOT ..maybe Toftness .. hey .. there are DC's that have helped thousands with these methods .. should they 
close shop today because we bicker over methods? Not to method Gonsted .. diversified ..or whatever.

Is there only one way to have the patient "hold" the adjustment .. that's your way .. my way their way. Sorry .. this is our 
problem and it will always be. But .. you be strong with your belief and conviction that upper cervical .. C1 is the answer .. I 
agree! But .. lighten up on the others .. politics and science in the same room is very dangerous. Go out tell the chiropractic 
story and find it .. fix it .. and leave it alone one spine at a time. Your strength is in your belief and that is your purpose .. 
stick to it.

To conclude .. your question was .. isn't it the basic tenet of chiropractic to reduce pressure to the brainstem .. help folks and 
let their body do the rest. The answer is YES .. but there are many ways to reach that goal.

Dr. M