Something Fishy
It came to my attention recently that a certain popular chiropractor said on stage that if you, as a chiropractor, are not prescribing fish oils and vitamin D that you are committing murder.
My own ears heard the speaker in question say two or three years ago on a very popular stage that if you were not recommending fish oils to your patients that you were unethical.
Let me just say here to absolutely no one except for those that pay attention that that statement is complete bullshit.
And here’s why.
It is not bullshit because I believe a chiropractor cannot make such a recommendation.
It is not bullshit because I think less of a chiropractor who does.
It’s not even bullshit because it’s incongruent with the philosophy of chiropractic.
It is bullshit, however, because it’s a complete and utter disrespect for those chiropractors who choose not to because the value of their scope of practice outweighs the perceived requirement by any authority on the subject.
What did I just say?
I said, that the value of the chiropractic philosophy coupled with the specific adjustment of vertebral subluxation outweighs, for that practitioner who chooses to practice in this manner and the practice members who she serves, the value of recommending any pill or potato that they may not be naturally getting from their environment.
In other words, the value of reminding people how to live congruently with natural laws and removing the most common form of neurological interference that is negatively impacting the expression of life on a global scale, outweighs, for that practitioner, the prescribing of supplementation.
Put another way, the focused scope practitioner acknowledges that in accordance with the principles and practice of chiropractic, the chiropractor’s objective is to realign the community with a vitalistic, inside out belief system that they already unconsciously subscribe to, AND simultaneously detect and correct vertebral subluxations that will indeed impact their ability to be aligned with those intrinsic beliefs.
The result is a powerful combination that allows the individual to express free will, clearer thinking and consciously and subconsciously move closer to health, wholeness and wellbeing.
They may choose to take fish oils or they may not.
That outcome is of no consequence or responsibility of the chiropractor although as stated, the chiropractor may choose to intervene.
It is a free country after all.
However, at no point should a chiropractor feel it is their moral, ethical or professional responsibility to make such recommendation. Through force, pressure or any other means.
The innate wisdom of the body knows how to adapt does it not? Does the intelligence that animates that which has no animation in any other form know how, if unobstructed, to use what is available to thrive, evolve and otherwise continue the process we call life?
It either does or it doesn’t. As much as we would like we cannot have it both ways.
And this is where we depart paths.
Objectives
We have different objectives.
Some have the objective to treat and cure disease. They are in the broad scope.
Some have the objective of natural primary care. They are in the middle.
And some choose a focused objective of educating and freeing individuals of one of the most common forms of neurological dysfunction affecting humanity.
Still others, a subgroup of the middle, choose an objective of removing all sources of neurological stress. A fine goal I suppose but not one in this nobody’s opinion that is a sustainable or realistic path if we desire to have massive impact on all seven billion people on this planet.
Which would you choose? To check all 7 billion and adjust if necessary or give each of them a fish?
I’m not a very religious guy but I am very familiar with the bible. Jesus shared with the world a simple principle around the subject of fish. That principle states that by teaching a man to fish versus feeding him, you will have empowered the man and removed him from the bondage of reliance on others. It is an inside out principle.
Our founders, defenders and promoters of our unique philosophy and objective have shared a similar message. In fact, I don’t recall DD, BJ, Stephenson, Gold, Barge, Strauss, Sinnott, Decken, or Russell ever teaching us to feed our people.
The choice is yours.
Free Will
Now…. with that said.
It was also shared that this particular speaker made the statement because he was tired of the constant jabs/attacks/positions put forth by others that a “principled/straight/insert adjective here” chiropractor has no business recommending fish oils.
Who gives a &@*&?
If we are going to move forward as a profession then we will recognize that there are currently three scopes of practice. Each has value and each has a specific focus and objective. (For clarification, the fourth scope, the complete dive into the practice of medicine put forth by the extremists in the ACA and other groups has no place in chiropractic and is not included in this scenario.)
The value of each scope will be presented in a professional manner without the need to attack the other. If a premise has value it will be recognized by humanity and they will decide for themselves.
If someone attacks a position it will be met with attack.
These are not new concepts. They are basic principles of war and simple economics.
Do we want a war or do we all want to serve humanity to the best of our ability?
I think we all know the answer to that.
Until then, it is advisable that such beliefs are kept to the own mind or table of the chiropractor who holds them.
But what do I know, I’m just some guy sitting behind a computer watching it all unfold.
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Steve Tullius, D.C., ACP
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