Probably a dumb question about faith and chiropractors

[chepyl]

My OB with my first baby is a Christian. I know because we lived in a small town and attended the same church. It made me feel better knowing that if my water broke at church, my doctor was right there ;)

[HS Mom in NC]

I find it odd that so many of know what religion your doctors are.  I would never think to ask that, and would wonder why someone felt the need to tell me. I want to know you know what you are doing medically.  I don't care what you do on Friday Night, Saturday or Sunday.

 

When we first moved south I started seeing doctor, dentist, lawyer signs with fish on them.  I have to say, it really bothered me and I would NEVER have gone to any of those places.  It just read as "This practice is for Christians" and came across as very discriminatory.  If you feel the need to distinguish among your patients, how do I know you won't distinguish between your treatment? It just felt very wrong.  And very unchristian like (but then so much in the south did when it came to religion).  And I am christian.

 

How do you usually get doctor recommendations?  Most people I know ask friends and family in their area if they know or use a particular type of doctor.  Then they ask what they did or didn't like about them and their practice.  Those get added to a list of doctor's that their insurance company covers.  Anyone with a lot of friends and family who share their faith often know medical professionals through their places of faith.  Of the chiros I mentioned upthread, 2 attended the same churches I did. 

 

The chiro my daughter uses was recommended to me by my FIL who got his name from other church members who had great success with him. Many Christians ask for prayer for medical issues and during those prayer meetings it's not unusual for someone who had a similar situation to offer to give that person the name and contact information of the doctor. Our chiro also has contemporary Christian music paying in the background a Bible along side the magazines in the waiting room, so even a causal observer can put 2 and 2 together.

 

The other chiro in the new agey camp said something about the universe teaching us something through our bodies or something similar.  It was mumbo jumbo to me, but the chiropractic adjustment was a welcome relief. He did his job well and that's what I really cared about.

 

The other asked me about homeschooling because his wife had a few questions about secular vs. religious school in a box publishers. Most people in America make chit chat with kids about school so homeschooling often comes up that way.

 

My ped is an older Mexican so statistically the odds are very high he's Catholic, but all doubt is eliminated when you see the crucifixes and what I'm guessing are some sort of small bowls of holy water over each door of the patient rooms.  In his previous office space there was a niche with the statue of what I'm guessing was a female saint, but whoever she was, she's not in the new office space. He's very chatty and has asked me about my faith before after the medical issues were addressed and was getting to know us. Hispanic culture in general is warm and friendly.  Even his intern (not religious at all) was in on the conversation.  We're all very different, but everyone is welcome and gets along just fine.

 

The ped. neuro who treats my daughter for migraines asked about homeschooling because my daughter is the first homeschooled patient she's had.  She asked about activities open to homechoolers (with genuine desire to know and be informed, not cynically, assuming we never leave the house) and then specifically about the ones my daughter was involved in because some physical activities can trigger migraines.  She also asks all patients about schooling situations because stress, sometimes academic stress, can trigger migraines. I mentioned church groups along with other things and explained a little about homeschooling.  She asked about my church in more detail at the end of the appointment because her current church wasn't a good fit for her kids and she was considering something more like mine.

 

None of those things is odd.

 

Assuming someone discriminates against people when you have no evidence that they ever have is you discriminating against them.  I have never once assumed anything negative by seeing by the Davidic Star I've seen my GP wear or the Happy Hanukkah signs next to her partner's Christmas tree, the full Muslim head covering and long robe my pulmonary doctor's receptionist daughter wears, or the Buddhist statue in my former dentist's office. Free societies celebrate and recognize the right to differences in things like religion and the freedom to express it both in public and private. They assume nothing negative unless there's actual evidence of discrimination.

 

[NASDAQ]

I find it odd that so many of know what religion your doctors are.  I would never think to ask that, and would wonder why someone felt the need to tell me. I want to know you know what you are doing medically.  I don't care what you do on Friday Night, Saturday or Sunday.

 

My doctors all go to my synagogue, or an affiliated synagogue. When a guy's name is (say) "Norman Cohen," it's kind of a giveaway.

[Renthead Mommy]

How do you usually get doctor recommendations?  Most people I know ask friends and family in their area if they know or use a particular type of doctor.  Then they ask what they did or didn't like about them and their practice.  Those get added to a list of doctor's that their insurance company covers.  Anyone with a lot of friends and family who share their faith often know medical professionals through their places of faith.  Of the chiros I mentioned upthread, 2 attended the same churches I did. 

 

The chiro my daughter uses was recommended to me by my FIL who got his name from other church members who had great success with him. Many Christians ask for prayer for medical issues and during those prayer meetings it's not unusual for someone who had a similar situation to offer to give that person the name and contact information of the doctor. Our chiro also has contemporary Christian music paying in the background a Bible along side the magazines in the waiting room, so even a causal observer can put 2 and 2 together.

 

The other chiro in the new agey camp said something about the universe teaching us something through our bodies or something similar.  It was mumbo jumbo to me, but the chiropractic adjustment was a welcome relief. He did his job well and that's what I really cared about.

 

The other asked me about homeschooling because his wife had a few questions about secular vs. religious school in a box publishers. Most people in America make chit chat with kids about school so homeschooling often comes up that way.

 

My ped is an older Mexican so statistically the odds are very high he's Catholic, but all doubt is eliminated when you see the crucifixes and what I'm guessing are some sort of small bowls of holy water over each door of the patient rooms.  In his previous office space there was a niche with the statue of what I'm guessing was a female saint, but whoever she was, she's not in the new office space. He's very chatty and has asked me about my faith before after the medical issues were addressed and was getting to know us. Hispanic culture in general is warm and friendly.  Even his intern (not religious at all) was in on the conversation.  We're all very different, but everyone is welcome and gets along just fine.

 

The ped. neuro who treats my daughter for migraines asked about homeschooling because my daughter is the first homeschooled patient she's had.  She asked about activities open to homechoolers (with genuine desire to know and be informed, not cynically, assuming we never leave the house) and then specifically about the ones my daughter was involved in because some physical activities can trigger migraines.  She also asks all patients about schooling situations because stress, sometimes academic stress, can trigger migraines. I mentioned church groups along with other things and explained a little about homeschooling.  She asked about my church in more detail at the end of the appointment because her current church wasn't a good fit for her kids and she was considering something more like mine.

 

None of those things is odd.

 

Assuming someone discriminates against people when you have no evidence that they ever have is you discriminating against them.  I have never once assumed anything negative by seeing by the Davidic Star I've seen my GP wear or the Happy Hanukkah signs next to her partner's Christmas tree, the full Muslim head covering and long robe my pulmonary doctor's receptionist daughter wears, or the Buddhist statue in my former dentist's office. Free societies celebrate and recognize the right to differences in things like religion and the freedom to express it both in public and private. They assume nothing negative unless there's actual evidence of discrimination.

 

 

 

If I needed a recommendation for something I asked, people offer them.  They tell about the provider.  If they happen to mention they know them via their religion, that doesn't really add anything to how they practice.  And just because a friend tells me someone goes to church with them doesn't mean I know what kind of religion my friend practices.  I have a very large circle of friends.  Before military life we never lived anywhere small enough that your private life would overlap with things like doctors.  

 

I would find your ped very out of line if he really just flat out asked you about your faith.   I can see kids= school questions with lead to homeschool conversations which leads to homeschooling and if it is religions and such.  But coming out and asking about faith, by a ped is just odd. 

 

If you have to advertise your religion on your business sign, it gives off a feeling that either your creditials and reputation can't stand on their own or you only want a certain kind of client. 

[texasmama]

I have no idea what the religion is of my kids' pediatrician, my primary care doctor, my dentist, my kids' dentist, my gastroenterologist or my OB/gyn.  I've been with the pediatrician for over ten years. 

 

I know the religion of my chiropractor because I mentioned praying at one appointment, and she stated that she also believed like that.  I generally don't know the religion of my doctors, but this is the deep south so it is heavily Christian.  I am unconcerned with the religion of my doctors.  I just want good doctors. 

 

However, it is important to my elderly father to have a Christian doctor, mostly because he talks about Jesus a lot and needs to have doctors who are understanding of this and can "talk his language".  So I chose one of our neighbors, who is Christian, to be his primary care doctor.  My dad gives out "Jesus Calling" books to all the staff there.  He also gave one to our gastroenterologist, who is from Pakistan, so it is not too likely that he is Christian, but he was very gracious about accepting the book.  My dad is a trip.  When you are older, you get to be a trip and get away with it.  lol

[Audrey]

How to say this . . . .

 

I got the feeling from some things I've read that people who go into chiropractic tend to have out-of-mainstream beliefs about religion.

 

Is this your impression, or do you know it to be true or untrue, or is that just the silliest question you ever heard?

 

 

It's not the silliest question I've ever heard, but I find the premise puzzling.  I've never heard of chiropractice being out-of-mainstream. :confused1:   FWIW, I know a wide variety of people who will use chiropractors when it is appropriate.  That includes a range from very religious (devout Mennonites and Catholics) to middle-of-the-road (wouldn't know what religious affiliation they were because it isn't something they talk about much), to very Green/organic/crunchy folks of no religious affiliation at all.

[SKL]

I don't have a lot of experience - one practice to be exact.  The one I go to and the stuff they gave me to read basically recommends against allopathic medicine except maybe as a last resort.  They insist that the body is designed to heal itself and a well-placed crack here and there will allow that to happen.  (OK, I'm being deliberately simplistic here, but hopefully you get my drift.)

 

The stuff about the history read a lot like the Christian Science literature I've read.  As many know, Christian Science is also generally against allopathic medicine, placing more trust in spiritual healing.  (Again, I'm being simplistic, but I did read Science and Health years ago, among other things.  I can't remember all the details.)

 

Now, maybe this is a somewhat fringe view among chiropractors, I don't know.  That's why I was asking - I find it intriguing.

 

Personally I think a lot of the reading I mentioned above makes sense, but I would be surprised if the average American would feel comfortable with all of it.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Just like all allopathic doctors are not the same, neither are chiropractic doctors all the same.  Just like some allopathic doctors are prejudiced against any herbal remedies or alternative medicine, some chiropractic doctors are prejudiced against allopathic doctors.  It isn't difficult to get information on the basic schools of chiropractic medicine so that you can make educated decisions based on how they actually treat the body, not based on whether a certain demographic is comfortable with them or not.   It seems very strange to me to base any decisions on that.  

[gardenmom5]

When a guy's name is (say) "Norman Cohen," it's kind of a giveaway.

not necessarily.  I've a friend whose son was offered a job with a very large nyc law practice.  they were all orthodox jews.  they thought his named sounded jewish, so they hired him.  he's not, and not in recent enough history to know who of what generation however far back (in a family that researches that stuff) may have converted from Judaism to Christianity.  (after that misunderstanding was cleared up, they all got along great.)

 

I've another friend who was sold a home because the seller thought they were jewish (name on top of a number of other "circumstantial" things. they later learned the seller was adamant she wasn't going to sell to anyone of the religion the couple actually were). 

[SKL]

Just like all allopathic doctors are not the same, neither are chiropractic doctors all the same.  Just like some allopathic doctors are prejudiced against any herbal remedies or alternative medicine, some chiropractic doctors are prejudiced against allopathic doctors.  It isn't difficult to get information on the basic schools of chiropractic medicine so that you can make educated decisions based on how they actually treat the body, not based on whether a certain demographic is comfortable with them or not.   It seems very strange to me to base any decisions on that.  

Just to be clear, I'm not doing the bolded.  I was just curious about the topic.  I went to this chiro because my daughter was referred (by another type of practice that is out of the mainstream).  I have a good feeling about the practice and now my whole family is going there.  But I know a lot of people who would not be comfortable with it.

[wingedradical]

I think they vary but an acquaintance who is a chiropractic doctor told me that many of their schools are offering more and more new age classes as well as more and more questionable theories. That being said, you can still graduate without all that stuff.

 

I tried chiropractors and was never helped. Than a friend, age 31, went in for his first chiropractic treatment and ended up with a stroke. This doesn't happen to most people, of course, but it does happen more often than you would think. Some people have a weakness in an artery that runs up the neck and manipulation can result in its dissection, causing the stroke.

 

My friend, who was a pastor, btw,  spent time in rehab but has some residual paralysis and speech difficulty. He is on permanent disability.

 

You might be interested in the following sites. Read some pro-chiropractic sites, too - they are all over the internet - and make an informed decision.

 

http://www.chirobase.org

http://www.quackwatch.com

 

[Mom2Es]

It's not the silliest question I've ever heard, but I find the premise puzzling.  I've never heard of chiropractice being out-of-mainstream. :confused1:   FWIW, I know a wide variety of people who will use chiropractors when it is appropriate.  That includes a range from very religious (devout Mennonites and Catholics) to middle-of-the-road (wouldn't know what religious affiliation they were because it isn't something they talk about much), to very Green/organic/crunchy folks of no religious affiliation at all.

 

Well, if you look into the history of chiropractic, the guy who did the first "adjustment" in the late 1800's definitely had non-mainstream religious beliefs.  He first claimed to have learned chiropractic principles from the spirit of a deceased person.

 

The only chiro I've ever seen was not a Palmer School chiro, and he was not new-agey, but I can see why some people think it's sketchy.