The Strange Death of Chiropractic*
The Strange Death of Chiropractic
The Chiropractic Message
Chiropractic has been a blessing to millions – often locating (and correcting) what other healing arts miss. Chiropractic’s unique approach is what has made it a true alternative healing art – non-surgical, non-drug, and natural by addressing blockages and interferences (subluxations) to the flow of information and energy that courses over our brain, spinal cord, nervous system and entire body! Far from being an “outdated” healing system, researchers are still exploring the ramifications of the subluxation, and its impact on health and dis-ease.
Chiropractic’s goal is to location and release interferences so we may function as close to our potential as is innately possible. DD Palmer’s insight that dis-ease is caused by trauma, thoughts and toxins is as valid today as it was when it was written. Indeed, chiropractic is at the cutting edge of mind-body healing.
Koren Publications
After graduating Sherman College I helped co-found and taught at the Pennsylvania College of Chiropractic that graduated some excellent chiropractors.
I left teaching to go back to full time practice. There was a dearth of high quality, scientifically referenced, modern and yet philosophical patient education materials. To remedy that I founded Koren Publications (KP). KP quickly became the most popular source of patient brochures, posters and booklets in the profession with well over one hundred million pieces (and counting) in distribution. KP is now being sold under license as For Your Practice.
KP is still turning on a new generation with titles such as: “What is Chiropractic?” “Children and Chiropractic,” “Infants, Babies and Chiropractic,” “Pregnancy and Chiropractic,” “What is a Subluxation?”, “Lower Back Pain,” “Neck Pain”, “Headaches”, “Migraines,” “Sciatica,”, “Ear Infections”, “Menstrual Problems”, “Sports”, “Why Should I Return If I’m Feeling Fine?”, “Disc Degeneration,” “The Day the MDs went on Strike”, “Childhood Vaccination,” “What’s in a Flu Vaccine” and dozens more! (See all our great stuff at www.korenpublications.com)
Doctors and patients wrote us thanking us for the brochures. Most exciting, we received letters from chiropractic students saying KP brochures inspired them to become chiropractors.
Attacked by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Things were looking great. Koren Publications brought chiropractic education to a new level of sophistication. Imagine my surprise when we were attacked by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Apparently, our materials threatened the powers-that-be.
In the past state and local prosecutors fined and sent DCs to jail for practicing “medicine and surgery without a license.” A secret AMA Committee on Quackery was created to destroy the chiropractic profession. This went on for decades but ultimately states passed chiropractic practiced acts and the AMA was defeated in the Wilk trial. But another front opened. For the first time in our history, a US government agency got involved. This attack was national and could cause great damage.
I remember the day I received the letter from a senior attorney at the FTC claiming that they had received complaints (from unnamed sources) and in discussion with their “chiropractic experts” (also never named) decided that our chiropractic brochures and literature were “false and misleading.” The FTC demanded we stop publishing. We learned it wasn’t just about KP. Our attorneys were told this case would create a legal precedent to control and eliminate all chiropractic patient education, promotional materials, advertising and even lay lectures. Any chiropractor, organization, school, publisher or company that said that chiropractic was anything other than a treatment for mild low back pain would be fined $10,000 – per brochure sold, per lecture given, per newspaper that carried the ad.
We Refused
To enforce this new standard, they had to start a legal battle. They picked KP. That was their mistake. We refused to capitulate and fought back. Most companies attacked by the FTC fold after a few months but after 6½ years of fighting it was the FTC that threw in the towel. I felt like Rocky who, after being pummeled and bloodied for nine rounds finally wins in the 10th.
It was a major victory for Chiropractic. Had we lost, we would have lost the freedom to communicate and educate the public.
The anti-chiropractic forces wouldn’t give up so easily. Shortly thereafter, we were sued by Stephen Barrett, MD, the Quackbuster-in-Chief. “Oh no, not again,” I thought. More legal bills, subpoenas, threats, and personal attacks. Finally, we had a jury trial and after three-days the judge threw out the case.
This battle revealed something
In the past the chiropractic profession, schools, organizations, companies, patient organizations and individual practitioners stood up to medical tyranny. DCs even went to prison to fight for their rights. I let the profession know that this was an attack on the chiropractic profession, with terrible potential consequences. We contacted schools, national and state organizations and other chiropractic suppliers for help. After all, if we lost the entire profession would have been gagged and muzzled yet every school, national and state association turned their backs on us.
Not all - many individual DCs, some state associations, organizations and chiropractic suppliers saw the danger and supported us. Because of them we were able to afford our lawyers and were ultimately victorious. But why was there so much apathy? Was this a freak reaction or had professional leadership become disconnected from its mission: weak, complacent and directionless?
Then Came COVID
Fear porn, a 24/7 media-government hysteria promoting lies and medical dishonesty exploded. A killer virus was going to decimate us unless we submitted to forced masking, “social distancing”, censorship, closure of “non-essential” businesses, churches and synagogues (except for liquor stores, abortion clinics, and big box stores). A free people became medical prisoners.
Land of the free home of the brave or land of the lockdown, home of the cowards?
This unconstitutional government overreach was unprecedented. Never in world history were healthy people quarantined. The falsehood of “asymptomatic transmission” to justify masking, distancing and lockdowns was attacked by many scientists and MDs but that was not reported by the media. Many were de-platformed, attacked and had their careers destroyed. But continued to fight for the truth.
Most revealing, no virus was ever shown to exist. It only existed “in silica” in a computer simulation.
Why did so many succumb to this unscientific, arbitrary, useless, coldblooded fraud. Fear is very powerful. A 24/7 fear porn (we’re all going to die unless we get vaccinated) freaked out millions. (Note the elephant in the room: the non-vaccinated are not dying. The vaccinated are suffering from chronic illness (long covid) and increased death rates.
When the dust settled that flu season was fairly mild, but the medical treatments, vaccines and isolation killed millions. The elderly in nursing homes were isolated, hastening death; drug addiction, alcoholism, suicides and abuse increased. Businesses that took generations to build were ruined. The “cure” was far worse than the so-called disease.
One Chiropractic School?
Did one chiropractic school or organization stand up to this this hysterical, illegal, attack and state:
“There is no proof asymptomatic transmission exists. There is no proof that masks, social distancing and quarantines are beneficial. Furthermore, no Covid-19 “virus” has been demonstrated to exist.
“We will be staying true to our chiropractic principles. Our classes, and clinics will remain open to everyone. No masks, no taking temperatures, no social distancing - we’ll even throw in a hug or two, no extra charge. We invite the public to come to our lectures to learn about health. However, if you prefer to live in fear, go somewhere else.”
Not a single chiropractic college president, board, state, national or international association said the Emperor has no clothes. Why? Sadly, they too were gripped by fear and were afraid to question the government narrative. Was this the same profession whose members stood up to jail and prison to fight for their right to practice (and live) freely?
What If One School Did?
On his radio show Dennis Prager interviewed an MD who refused to enforce masks, social distancing, or employ CDC drugs and protocols. He preferred natural methods. What happened? He lost half his practice practically overnight. Within a few weeks his practice was five times its original size. People wanted a doctor who didn’t bow to fear and irrationality.
Had even one chiropractic school shown such courage it would certainly have faced attacks at first and then received a massive influx of new students, clinic patients, and international publicity. Students would transfer from their weak, pseudo-medical schools, prospective students would be referred by principled chiropractors to the one school that taught and practiced chiropractic philosophy, rational science and epidemiology. Such a school would be a beacon to people who are searching for health sanity in an insane world.
Their Germ Theory
Chiropractic follows the tried-and-true hygienic school of healthcare: germs don’t make us sick, instead sickness makes us germs. A weak, toxic, undernourished, stressed system is fertile ground for germs – nature’s cleanup crew. Kochs (and Rivers) postulates have never been proven. The germ theory is still an unproven theory.
That is why principled chiropractors don't vaccinate their children. Vaccination is the most extreme example of the medical mechanistic model. It is a litmus test of whether chiropractic philosophy, art and science is understood. Sadly, to this day, about half of all chiropractic schools today recommend or require vaccination to matriculate. The rot is deep.
What Should Be Done?
Chiropractic’s empirical, non-drug, system of hygienic healthcare sits on the shoulders of empirical healers going back thousands of years.** But when cut off from its philosophical roots, a profession even dies.
It’s the cut flower syndrome – the flowers look good for a while but eventually wither and die – as has the osteopathic profession in the US.
Chiropractic at the Crossroads
This is a wonderful opportunity for the chiropractic profession, for schools, presidents, boards and association to reconnect to their heritage. Let’s take advantage of this new time of questioning the medical model, let us learn from our mistakes. Without the guidance and grounding of our philosophy chiropractic will continue to go the way of osteopathy, toward medical assimilation.
We are an answer to a symptom suppressing world of vaccines, drugs and therapies that kill hundreds of thousands a year and leave over half of the population chronically ill. We follow an ancient prescription: release blockages, reconnect, address the cause of dis-ease: toxins, thoughts and trauma.
Will the schools return to teaching chiropractic empirical/vitalist philosophy or will chiropractic exist as a unique healing art in name only? Where are the chiropracTIC leaders and teachers we need to inspire the next generation? I pray it is not too late.
Articles by Dr. Koren on Chiropractic patient education, Chiropractic Philosophy, Vaccination, COVID, Medicine and more are at www.korenwellness.com
Dr. Koren is available to speak on chiropractic philosophy, art and science. Write to him at [email protected]m
For products on chiropractic philosophy, art and science contact Rob Esposito at [email protected]m
*The title of this paper was inspired by the title of Douglas Murray’s book, “The Strange Death of Europe” which describes the “suicide” of European culture. We are facing the “suicide” of the chiropractic profession.
**I recommend Divided Legacy Vol. 4 by Harris L. Coulter PhD. Coulter describes the 2,500-year schism between mechanist/rationalist and empirical (vitalist) philosophies.
Postscript:
Not everyone cowered in fear. Some brave DCs stayed true to chiropractic and stood up to the state and the cowardly “chiropractic” associations and boards. One courageous doctor’s story:
Hi Tedd,
Here's a kinda-quick overview of our legal journey:
After several months of going back and forth with the Boulder County Health Department, I began receiving C&D Orders in February 2021.
March 2, 2021 - Sheriff's deputies come into the office issuing a summons to appear in an emergency hearing for recklessly endangering the public.
March 10, 2021 - We have a video hearing. Over 100 unmasked people crammed themselves into my office to show support - including about a dozen Chiros.
After the 4½ hour hearing, the judge said he was not going to address the constitutionality of the issue. He was going to support the governor's executive orders, and he issued a permanent injunction against me and the business. He also issued a permanent restraining order against me and my business in Boulder County.
Boulder County along with a concerned citizen that had read about our hearing in the Denver Post filed complaints with the Chiropractic Board.
The Board began the process of disciplinary action. I submitted a letter to them that included a brief review of chiropractors resisting the medical methods and mandates during the Spanish Flu. I told them that if they considered my stance for our citizens to be able to make their own health choices and violated their chiropractic principles, they could keep my license.
They replied telling me that I could not surrender my license. They were permanently revoking it.
Mid-March 2021 - I got connected to a former judge from the Midwest that began teaching me about public domain vs. private domain. He guided me through the process of dissolving my previous public business and everything attached to it. He created documents for me to operate as a Faith-Based Private Membership Health Association. As a result, we are now tax-exempt!
June 2023 - We receive a C&D order from the Board and the State Attorney General's office - they were claiming I was practicing chiropractic without a license and informed me that "law enforcement had been contacted". Interestingly, in this same order, the Board included a link I could go to renew my license - so I could operate "legally". The Atty. General's office admitted that they had been investigating my office since April 2021, and that they had been having undercover prospective patients contact us with the intent of incriminating us.
In response to this order, I asked what evidence they had. They mentioned that my website mentioned that we used KST with our private members. I believed I could include this since KST is NOT a Chiro-only method. I pulled my website down, made some modifications and have not heard anything since.
My guess is that the final C&D Order was an attempt to intimidate us into either closing down - so they could have a precedent that PMHAs don't work in Colorado, or to crawl back under the jurisdiction of the Board by reactivating my license. I know that a lot of Colorado Chiros were watching to see how things played out for us - so when the next "plandemic" comes along, they might have another option - so I think that things ultimately ended with a win. This is nothing in comparison to the legal battles you have had to fight, but your example of conviction and perseverance helped fuel my fire to stand for what was right.
Zack Alme, DC
Lafayette, Colorado
