In Lori Tobias' story "Doctor, Doctor" - April 2003 - sharing - chiropractors - Letter to the Editor

Better Nutrition, June, 2003 by Phil Harrington

In Lori Tobias' story "Doctor, Doctor" (April 2003) she writes, "... such practices as acupuncture, homeopathy, mind/body therapies and dietary supplements are becoming so commonplace, the term `alternative' barely applies."

Whenever I read a story such as this, the following thought comes to mind: Would a reporter write a story about American car manufacturers and not mention General Motors? Then why do columnists writing about "alternative medicine" rarely mention chiropractic?

One possible reason for not including chiropractic in this list is that it is already considered mainstream, but I don't think this is the case. Even though we rank No. 1 in the alternative medicine market, only 10 percent of the American public visits a doctor of chiropractic.

Phil Harrington, DC
Brooklyn, Iowa

You raise an interesting point. Actually, we would agree that chiropractic is more mainstream than many of the other practices mentioned in the article, especially since now it's often covered by medical insurance. But you're right, chiropractic is at the forefront of alternative healing, and we shouldn't overlook it simply because of its success.