Medical Malpractice

In most respects, Sara Taylor was like any other ten-year-old girl; however there was one very big difference: she had a severe health condition that, despite multiple visits to the doctor, had not been resolved.

Sara had several disturbing symptoms, the most noticeable of which was a persistent cough. She also suffered from recurring ear infections, intermittent stomach pain, and eczema. Her very concerned mother told me that despite being treated with multiple rounds of antibiotics, Sara had not gotten any relief. She simply could not stop coughing.

On November 7, 2012, her parents brought her into my office, hoping that conservative chiropractic care could help boost her immune system. With each office visit, I evaluated Sara's spine for alignment; then I would make gentle adjustments to restore the circuitry of the nervous system, including the autonomic nervous system. The adjustments were not done by hand, as with most patients, but with a spring-loaded instrument that essentially feels like someone is tapping the patient on the shoulder.

After just three office visits, Sara began showing improvement. By the sixth office visit, her cough was gone, she was sleeping better and her stomach pains had decreased in intensity and frequency. At that point I estimated that she would need a few more sessions to ensure her nervous system was functioning optimally, but she was certainly on the road to full recovery.

Imagine my surprise when I learned that Sara's neighbor, a two-year-old named Claire, was also suffering from a persistent cough. I was even more surprised-astounded, actually-to find that Claire had been prescribed ten consecutive rounds of antibiotics, which had not done her a bit of good.

It is well-established that taking too many antibiotics can have long-lasting and harmful side-effects, including a compromised intestinal tract and a resistance to medication. How could any physician, particularly a pediatrician, prescribe so many such meds to a two-year-old child? To me, this was a clear case of malpractice.

After my initial evaluation of Claire's condition, it was immediately apparent that she would need a different course of treatment than Sara. Claire was suffering from allergies; therefore, I decided upon the natural allergy elimination technique. Instead of spinal manipulation, this treatment involves a type of acupressure. It is designed to eliminate allergies by gently reprogramming the body to not react to the usual triggers; namely, eggs, milk, wheat and yeast, sugar, and mold.

The real beauty of this treatment plan was that there was no placebo effect. It is well-known that medications have a thirty percent placebo effect; however, this does not apply to young children such as Claire, as they are not old enough to equate medicine with wellness. The same is true with hypnosis: I cannot hypnotize a two-year-old because they do not have that sort of focus; certainly not when his/her parents are there.

Usually, parents bring their children to holistic healthcare providers only after traditional medicine has been unsuccessful. Much of this has to do with public perception: while we are bombarded with commercials for pharmaceuticals, complete with testimonials by qualified physicians, we rarely see holistic doctors on TV. As with many aspects of medicine, the key to changing this perception is education. People must understand that just because holistic healers don't have billions in advertising dollars, it does not mean their work is not rooted in science.

Within seven weeks, Claire was feeling like a normal toddler, and I was thrilled to have been able to help these two families. It is yet another example of why it is important to question all healing procedures, even those prescribed by traditional doctors. Many times, the best course of action is a combination of conventional medicine and evidence-based holistic treatments.