A Holistic Guide to Chiropractic Practice

By -- William B. Risley, D.C.

Please see pages xx, Parts #T-135 for information on how to order

There are few things that are more discouraging than to be taught something, believe in its value, have practical experience with it, and then be denied the right to use it. For some strange philosophical reason many young men and women will graduate from chiropractic college only to find that what they were taught is against the law in the state or country in which they want to practice.

Frustration is compounded when you know that you have within your background the training to help a patient with unique skills -- skills that are seldom taught in the schools of other disciplines.

However, there are still modalities and concepts that can be practiced by the majority of the profession. The decision has to come from within the individual doctor. Do you want to be a technician or true physician? Do you want to learn something new that may change the life of your patient? Most important, do you want to take the time to learn and then the time to apply it?

This last point is of great importance for it might mean seeing a little less than 300 patients a day and replacing quantity with quality.

Chiropractic physicians form the largest and most viable alternative to the insanity of inappropriately prescribed medications and often dangerous surgical procedures, and it should be our duty to offer as many common sense therapeutic choices as possible.

Dr. William Risley's text, A Holistic Guide to Chiropractic Practice, is an excellent example of eclectic therapeutic procedures. So that you won't be holding your breath in suspense, it's a manual that delivers just what the title says. It's lean but verbally muscular and packed with useful information.

The first part of the book gives information that relates to the text that follows with such things as oxidation rates, hair analysis, the use of castor oil packs, nutritional supplementation, and general ordering information. The bulk of what follows is concerned with the holistic treatment of such specific conditions as colds, acne, colitis, epilepsy, psoriasis, headaches, PMS, hypoglycemia, hypertension, enuresis, bursitis, allergies, and sinusitis.

Each pathology is succinctly described and coded. This is followed by a description of the customary medical treatment and rationale with all its inherent complications and side effects. Then comes the conservative treatment for the same condition. It's as if you're given a choice between madness and common sense and makes you proud of what chiropractors can and should do.

The volume ends with charts on lab normals, CPT codes, ICD-9-CM codes, and a glossary. It's a handy reference manual and should be purchased by almost every chiropractor.

Almost -- because there are unfortunately some out there who are stuck in a philosophical time warp and keep going around in circles.

Still, let me implore those whose heads haven't yet ossified to open their minds and expose themselves to the many safe alternatives they should offer their patients. Think about it -- if an adjustment was all that was needed to help people keep well, nothing else would be necessary. Since the facts are to the contrary, why should we force the public to sacrifice their health to dangerously radical procedures?

Regardless of your philosophical persuasion, expose yourself to as many things as possible -- you might learn something. If you're already open-minded, you'll welcome A Holistic Guide to Chiropractic Practice as a necessary and helpful adjunct to your library and your practice.