Book Review - Title: The Truth About Chiropractic

Book Review

Title: The Truth About Chiropractic

Author: Debra Levinson, DC Publisher: MAX Publications Category: Patient Education Publication: 93 pages, spiral bound

So writes chiropractic patient Jerry Boswell in one of the many stories in the book The Truth About Chiropractic. Dr. Debra Levinson has compiled scores of patient testimonial letters and reproduced them in a very professional looking spiral bound book that has been sitting in my reception room for several months. It has been very popular with my patients. The pages are all on glossy paper and there are numerous photos illustrating the stories. Many patients have picked up the book, read a few stories, and when I see them in the treatment room they say to me, "I didn't know you can treat ..."

Here is an excerpt from patient Linda Frederick: "When I first came to Drs. Richard and Karen Hodish, I complained of lower back pain. The x-ray showed severe scoliosis. A month after treatment, I had a much straighter spine, less back fatigue, and the joyous news that I was pregnant. After four years of using fertility drugs and trying to adopt, I attribute my pregnancy to the chiropractic treatment. My husband and I are forever grateful to these wonderful doctors."

There is even an index of the disease processes which have stories about them in the book. From abdominal pain to yeast infections, there are stories written by happy chiropractic patients, many of whom were medical failures. This book will not win any scientific awards: it isn't about cold, hard evidence or double blind studies that prove the efficacy of chiropractic. Those studies are coming out all the time, and more of them in the future. But this book serves a purpose. The anecdotal stories are all case histories which do have merit on their own. But the real value is to educate patients of the many various ailments of the human body that can be helped by chiropractic care.

While not "providing" anything, there is certainly nothing unscientific about patient testimonial letters. This book has a permanent place in my reception room. If I were to lose it or it were damaged, I would buy another copy immediately. My patients love it. It helps educate patients, makes them ask questions, and refer their friends and family. I strongly recommend owning a copy for your office.