Click here: Is ACA condemning FCER research as scam? by Dr. Terry A. Rondberg
http://www.worldchiropracticalliance.org/tcj/2007/jan/rondberg.htm
A publication of the World Chiropractic Alliance
January 2007
Is ACA condemning FCER research as scam?
by Dr. Terry A. Rondberg
During its 2006 House of Delegates meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz., the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) reaffirmed a 1991 resolution that warns against the use of research programs “for the designed purpose of patient solicitation.” [Yes, aimed at TR’s RCS scam.]
I’m assuming this resolution is directed at the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research (FCER) and its annual “Patient Appreciation Day,” which was started 10 years ago as ‑‑ in the words of the FCER ‑‑ “a way for doctors to strengthen their relationships with current patients, attract new patients, create community awareness, and raise funds for critically needed chiropractic research.”
[Okay, stop laughing—TR’s trying to be ironic, ya folla? TR is obviously at it again with his yellow journalism since he knows full well this resolution was aimed at his bogus VSRI and RCS scams, not the FCER PAD. His misrepresentation of the facts clearly indicates again his total lack of journalistic ethics. FCER’s Patient Appreciation Day does not recruit patients for a “research project” as does the RCS. FCER’s PAD is strictly a fund raiser — and says so right up front.]
According to the FCER, “Hundreds of DCs hold Patient Appreciation Days in their office as a fun event to draw in new patients, reactivate former patients, and raise funds for FCER’s ongoing chiropractic research and education programs at the same time.” Obviously, one of the primary functions of the FCER program is to attract new patients. [Wrong again, TR. As clearly noted in the FCER’s literature, this PAD is a fund-raiser, not a veiled new patient acquisition program like your VSRI or your newest scam, the RCS.]
I’m surprised, however, at the ACA’s condemnation of the FCER program, since it also provides financial support to the program and has publicized it over the years. [Again, the ACA did not condemn the FCER. Just as TR has mischaracterized other opponents of his scams, including but not limited to the ACA leadership, the WFC leadership, presidents of most major chiro colleges, financial rivals like NCMIC and Lou Sportelli, Don Petersen of the Dynamic Chiropractic journal, and myself as the Lord of the GOA, he now misleads his readership about the FCER, a competitor with his bogus RCS scam.] In fact, the 1991 issue of the Journal of the American Chiropractic Association (JACA), published an article about the program, stating: “You can help raise funds for vital chiropractic research while building your patient base by participating in FCER’s Patient Appreciation Day program.” [Again, it’s a program to raise funds for FCER, not to entice new patients into a bogus RCS scam. To suggest that FCER and RCS are similar is to liken the President of the USA with the President of Cuba, ya folla?]
Sadly, the PAD program ‑‑ which doctors have to purchase from FCER ‑‑ doesn’t permit the doctors to actually involve themselves in the research process. [Correct: let’s have the real researchers do the research.] It merely funds the type of low‑back pain studies that have reinforced the mistaken notion that chiropractic is limited to a very narrow range of musculoskeletal disorders. [Wrong again: the FCER has funded a plethora of projects, but it just happens that the effectiveness of SMT for MSDs has proven most effective. Again, TR is using his demagoguery to ridicule his opponents by using unsupported claims to stir emotions and passions among naïve followers.]
Of course, the ACA wasn’t criticizing the FCER’s patient‑building scheme. [Gee, TR, you had me fooled.] Instead, it was directing its resolution at RCS (Research & Clinical Science), the private sector research company engaged in subluxation‑centered research that has the potential [key word since it’s unlikely.] to expand chiropractic into the wellness arena. [Why does he think CMT alone will create wellness when most degenerative diseases are nutritional and genetic expressions of polymorphism?] After all, the ACA and its allies (namely, organizations like the CCE, FCLB, and NBCE) have fought against anything tainted by “old‑fashioned” chiropractic philosophy [Wrong: vitalism isn’t the issue: cultism/chirovangelism/demagoguery are the problems, ya folla?] for decades. It even went so far as to specifically mention RCS in its press release announcing the resolution, referencing a widely contested article by Stephen Perle, DC which made numerous false claims about the RCS program. [Wrong: Perle made no false claims and he certainly is entitled to his opinion. Secondly, TR’s supposed lawsuit against Perle, Petersen and me has died a quiet death because it had no merit whatsoever, a point that TR has failed to mention in his yellow rag. He’s very quick to condemn publicly, but very quiet to admit his failure. His most recent attack against me and the Axiom DRX spinal decompression table has also shut TR up for a while when Axiom threatened him for defamation.]
It’s particularly interesting that the motion to reaffirm this old resolution was made by the ACA’s Insurance and Managed Care Leadership Committee. Why would this committee be so interested in a research program that it would draft such a resolution? [To distance the ACA from scam artists, that’s why.]
Could it be that having research proving the negative impact of the vertebral subluxation is feared by the insurance industry? [Oh, Save Our Subluxation! Why would anyone fear this, TR? Or is this just another example of your demagoguery to misrepresent your rivals to stir emotions? This guy is clearly a sociopath who is so deep into his mental illness that he cannot escape his own delusions.]
Perhaps the committee ‑‑ one of whose members is Mario Spoto, DC, the ACA’s delegate to the CCGPP ‑‑ is anxious to destroy RCS since the research it’s doing could completely blow its so‑called (but clearly misnamed) “Best Practices” document out of the water? [Okay, stop gasping: where is this so-called research that will “blow” the CCGPP work? The only thing it will blow is the minds of legitimate researchers who’ve already dismantled the RCS scheme as a profiteering, unethical research scheme.]
Or maybe it’s a more personal thing. I’ve been one of the biggest boosters of the RCS (and have recently accepted the position of CEO for the company) and I’ve also been one of the most vocal critics of the ACA and CCGPP. [Tell us something that we don’t already know, TR. So, you’ve “accepted the position of CEO” for RCS. Why doesn’t that surprise anyone since you’ve already given this albatross over $750,000 to support this scam?]
I’m not the only person to see the irony in this action by the ACA. [Indeed, other sycophants and malcontents who hope to profit will jump on his RCS bandwagon, such as Matt McCoy, Kent, Gentempo and other WCA Evil Vendors.]
Gregory Plaugher, DC, e‑mailed a scathing criticism of the ACA’s obviously political action. In the e‑mail, he stated it was “disturbing to hear that Dr. Perle’s ethical views make their way quickly into ACA policy. Of course he, Dr. Craig Nelson, Dr. Dana Lawrence, Dr. Jay Triano, Dr. Gert Bronfort, and others also have opinions about chiropractic practice and education noted in Nelson et. al.’s Chiropractic & Osteopathy paper … which basically renounces: subluxation, structure function, “Palmerian tenets,” nervous system, primary care ‑‑ pretty much everything taught and practiced in the chiropractic profession.” [in fact, these very smart men debunked a lot of misconceptions within this profession—growing pains for ol’ chirovangelists to accept, ya folla?]
He continued: “It’s really quite shocking that the politicos in ACA actually rely on people like this to define the profession, make guidelines, and represent chiropractic to outside agencies.” [Who better to espouse a paper on our future than the intelligentsia within our mainstream profession? Of course, we could have the WCA Evil Vendors make up their own guidelines as we’ve seen with the old farcical WCA Council on Chiropractic Practice (CCP) guidelines or McCoy’s latest WCA-IME guidelines that will cost you $125 to read. I have an idea: let’s have Nelson et al. debate TR et al. at RAC to determine the truth in this matter! Okay, stop laughing because TR and his gang of Evil Vendors will never emerge from their spider holes for a debate in public—they don’t like the sunlight of truth, ya folla?]
Dr. Plaugher knows a lot about research. He used to be associate professor at Palmer College of Chiropractic West, [where allegedly he was fired.] and director of research of the Gonstead Clinical Studies Society. Now, he’s the director of research and associate professor at Life University [Of course: anyone who knocks the ACA will find a home at Life Diploma Mill, ya folla?] and has a lengthy list of publication credits in respected journals including Journal of Manipulative Physiologic Therapeutics, Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics, Chiropractic Journal of Australia, and Chiropractic Technique. [That was before Plaugher went to the Dark Side and joined forces with TR and GR.]
As a researcher himself, he understands more than most the potentially devastating effects of the ACA’s action and their continual assault [What assault?] on subluxation‑centered chiropractic. As he told doctors on his e‑mail list: “Get a clue or you’ll wake up one morning to 5 visits (without x‑ray), for intermittent pain syndromes (spine only‑no extremities of course), and a profession defined as a dentist for the spine (their words) well integrated under the umbrella of medicine…..oh I’m sorry…this isn’t a nightmare…it’s reality today.” [Ironically, as a supposed researcher, it’s odd that he criticizes what the research supports—our effectiveness with MSDs. Perhaps he’s been drinking too much of the purple Kool Aid himself.]
He also commented that the ACA should [more demagoguery: implanting that the ACA “will” rather than “should”—guilty by inference, ya folla?] “make sure (they) also go after the American Academy of Pediatrics www.aap.org/pros. The mission of PROS is to improve the health of children and enhance primary care practice by conducting national collaborative practice‑based research.”
In fact, the AAP PROS program is very similar to the one conducted by RCS [I wonder if AAP PROS wants to be likened to TR’s bunch of vendors?]. It consists of 1,953 pediatric practitioners from 719 practices in 49 states, Puerto Rico and Canada, teamed with a research staff at AAP headquarters in Elk Grove Village, Ill., and research consultants from around the country. RCS consists of chiropractic practitioners from around the world teamed with an International Scientific Advisory panel of MDs, PhDs, DCs and lay people. [Tell us, TR: does it cost participants $14,000 to join the AAP PROS program? Do its owners have conflicts of interest such as you?]
The AAP program is currently working on a variety of projects, including studies on how practitioners diagnose child abuse in primary care settings, a new way to help parents prevent child violence, and how to improve practice/clinic immunization rates. [Just correct VSC and all violence will cease, ya folla?]
The RCS program is currently working on a variety of projects, including studies on how subluxation correction may be beneficial in addressing specific health concerns, boost the immune system, elevate overall health and well‑being, and reduce health care costs. [Why not include how to end all war since warmongers must be subluxated in a state of dis-ease, correct?]
PROS practitioners report they enjoy being part of an overall research effort that routinely solicits their input on study questions and study designs (protocols and materials) and that examines questions relevant to the day‑to‑day practice of pediatrics. They also tell us that parents view research involvement on the part of the pediatric practice in a very positive light, and are eager to fill out questionnaires when they are a part of a study.
I can say the same thing about RCS doctors! [Sure, TR, you can say that, but does anyone believe you since you’ve lost all credibility among the mainstream profession? If BJ and Big $id failed to prove the Big Idea, why do you think you can—just because you have a bigger ego or what?]
Do you think the pediatricians involved in the PROS program turn research volunteers away if they want to become patients? Of course not. Although the primary purpose of both PROS and RCS is to generate vital research, one result for the doctor may be increased patient volume. Or, as the FCER puts it, the research is ‑‑ secondarily ‑‑ “a way for doctors to strengthen their relationships with current patients, (and) attract new patients…” [Comparing apples and oranges: while increase patient volume may be the result of such research or PAD projects, it’s unlike your overt goal to solicit new patients on false pretenses. Just like the VSRI was a telemarketing scam that was finally shut down without any credible research whatsoever by your own admission, the same will hold true with the RCS scam: only hot air will come from your efforts, just as with all of your efforts.]
The ACA has given $6 million to the FCER and fully endorses its Patient Appreciation Day program, despite the emphasis on attracting patients. [Touting the benefit of chiro care for MSDs is not the same as promoting bogus research at $14,000 per doctor.] Yet, the ACA’s insurance committee uses an article by a well known opponent of subluxation‑centered [cult-based] chiropractic as the excuse to condemn the RCS program, which is already producing incredible research results (be sure to read the article by Dr. Bob Blanks in this issue of The Chiropractic Journal). [Ironically, Blanks cites other studies for proof of the impact of VSC on wellness, but nothing from the RCS study itself.]
As Dr. Plaugher says, this isn’t a nightmare, it’s today’s reality. [Does TR really think his bogus RCS will change anything? Chiropractors have been screaming the Big Idea for over 100 years without proof and getting ignored, yet at $14,000 per person, TR wants to continue throwin’ good money in after bad.] Yet, we can change reality by acting quickly and decisively to save subluxation‑based chiropractic. [Yes, yes: send TR your money today, ya folla? And be sure to join his dictatorial WCA, buy his CBS insurance, buy Kent’s Innatometer, join Gentempo’s fanatical leadership seminar, and subscribe to McCoy’s The Journal of Very Silly Research. Have I excluded any other Evil Vendor’s product?] We have to gather together to support efforts that promote traditional chiropractic and fight ‑‑ and fight hard ‑‑ against those who are trying to destroy it. [Certainly: we must fight against the entire, subluxated world plus the evil progressive DCs in the ACA and WFC. Indeed, if it weren’t for the efforts of lunatics like Big $id, Reggie Gold and Terry Wrongberg, chiropractic wouldn’t today be the marginal, self-righteous and insignificant profession that it sadly remains. In fact, if this is the Big Idea that BJ professed, we need to think out of that box for a change, ya folla?]
Act NOW [Send TR your money, stupid!]
Here are three suggestions for immediate action on your part:
Make your $$$count. Take a close look at the organizations and companies you support with your dollars. Are they your allies or your enemies? Do they share your vision of chiropractic? If not, why in the world are you aiding in your own destruction? Withdraw support from any college, association, practice consultant, or company that doesn’t support you and subluxation‑centered chiropractic. Put your money where your principles are. [Pure bunk and demagoguery—TR’s delusion at its worse.]
Talk among yourselves. Find like‑minded doctors in your area and gather together to lend each other mutual support. Hold “philosophy nights” or invite guest speakers to special meetings [to chant the Money Hum]. Follow the lead of the extremely successful “Meet Up” movement (use Internet social networking sites like meetup.com to organize these meetings). There is power in numbers and we all need to know we’re not alone. [Is this the mindset of an insurgent or what?]
Fight back. Write letters to organizations like the ACA to protest their campaign against chiropractic. Write letters to major chiropractic publications as well as to your state organization newsletters. Don’t be the silent majority. Speak out and let others know where you stand! [Be prepared to become a suicide bomber and blow yourself up at the next NCLC meeting. After all, if you’re not willing to die for chiropracTIC, then you’re not cut from the same cloth as BJ or Big $id. May I volunteer TR be the first? Okay, stop cheering!]
Action isn’t always clear. It is now. Silence may be golden at times. This isn’t one of them. Doctors, you hold the profession’s future, literally, in your hands. [Send TR your money today and be the first chiro-insurgent in your town to die for the WCA-RCS. What else do you have to lose?]
Obviously this article is just another example of the mental illness of TR. His sociopathic tendency is clear in his hate-filled mischaracterization of the FCER and ACA. It’s one thing to be a critical-thinking professional, but it’s another to be a self-serving demagogue willing to destroy this profession’s image in order to profit. Is there anyone in our profession who doesn’t know of TR’s many illegal and under-handed efforts to profit at our demise? If you’re unaware of his many exploits and travails, just logon to www.StopRondberg.org to learn of his history of deceit, discord and dis-ease.