Watchdog tonight.

[John Jackson]

Watchdog tonight are featuring a 'back doctor'.

It looks like a Chiropractor is coming under scrutiny.

Might be worth a look.

[Blue Wode]

Thanks for the heads up on that.

Apparently the Watchdog team will investigate "a back specialist scaring clients into unnecessary and expensive treatments".

Sounds familiar.

It's on at 7.00pm on BBC1. I'll be watching. O0

[Blue Wode]

It is going to be about a chiropractor:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/consumer/tv_and_radio/watchdog/reports/health_and_beauty/health_20061010.shtml

Unfortunately, part of the content of that link is a little misleading:

If you're concerned about problems with you back, visit a healthcare professional who's registered and regulated. This way, you can make sure they're properly trained, qualified and regulated. The General Chiropractic website can be found at www.gcc-uk.org.

No mention that the GCC doesn't regulate actual chiropractic treatment approaches and that subluxation-based (quackery) practices are still rife amongst the registered chiropractor population in the UK.

[wollery]

I particularly liked this little snippet!

The General Chiropractic Council has also heard from dissatisfied patients. Alarmed by his over-dramatic diagnosis and his excessive and unnecessary use of x-rays,the council suspended him for 18 months for being a chiropractor early in 2006. ;D


However, on a serious note, I think this is the most telling part of the whole article;

As Proud is no longer registered with a professional body, he can practise unregulated.

Try doing that as a doctor and you can go to jail!

[doubting thomas]

"I'm no con merchant" in huge letters that take up a quarter of a page in the local weekly free paper Stourbridge NEWS, shouts Peter Proud.

Theres a picture of him standing outside his practice arm in arm with a lovely blond lady (wife/girlfriend/assistant ?) with about a dozen of his patients in the background smiling as if everything is OK.

My only grumble here is that the page in the paper is almost like an advertisement, unfortunately i didn't see the program itself.

[tkingdoll]

"I'm no con merchant" in huge letters that take up a quarter of a page in the local weekly free paper Stourbridge NEWS, shouts Peter Proud.

Theres a picture of him standing outside his practice arm in arm with a lovely blond lady (wife/girlfriend/assistant ?) with about a dozen of his patients in the background smiling as if everything is OK.

My only grumble here is that the page in the paper is almost like an advertisement, unfortunately i didn't see the program itself.


They're running the story on their website too. http://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/display.var.966950.0.therapist_im_no_conman.php

Hilarious quote from Proud about his disgruntled patients:

"They were very happy in our practice until they went somewhere else."

[Blue Wode]

What was really irresponsible was the description that the programme gave for ‘subluxation’:

“A recognised condition - according to experts it’s common and it’s usually nothing to worry about.”

No attempt was made to distinguish between scientifically unproven chiropractic subluxations (basically nonsense) and medically proven orthopaedic subluxations (which are rare and not usually treated by chiropractors).

In addition to that, in a statement it released on Wednesday regarding the Watchdog programme, the UK regulatory body, the General Chiropractic Council (GCC), said that it was disappointed that the Watchdog producers had decided not to emphasise its message to them: “If you value your health, see a registered health professional”:
http://www.gcc-uk.org/files/page_file/WATCHDOG.pdf

But would seeing a registered chiropractor really make that much of a difference?

Notice that the GCC’s statement doesn’t clarify the fundamental differences between the two types of subluxation either despite claims made by the programme that the GCC was “alarmed” by Mr Proud’s over-dramatic, subluxation-based diagnoses - and despite the fact that there are at least three chiropractic organisations in the UK that shamelessly promote the subluxation concept:

http://www.united-chiropractic.org/modules/tinycontent/index.php?id=3

http://www.mctimoney-chiropractic.org/mca_objectives.htm

http://www.chiropractic-uk.co.uk/gfx/uploads/textbox/Servicing%20your%20spine.pdf


Definitely time to post UK Skeptics’ two excellent resources on chiropractic:

What is chiropractic and does it work?
http://www.skeptics.org.uk/article.php?dir=articles&article=chiropractic.php

Chiropractic Factsheet
http://www.ukskeptics.com/factsheets/Chiropractic.pdf

[Sgt Badass]

Notice too that he doesn't 'treat' patients, he 'heals' them.

Not that I know what that's supposed to mean, but I guess he doesn't know either.

[doubting thomas]

Update 25/01/07
Local free-paper Stourbridge NEWS today reports the following.

"Peter Proud has been removed from the General Chiropractic Council register due to unacceptable professional conduct".

"He has become the first person to be struck off from his professional register".

A detailed report can be seen, follow the link below.

www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/display.var.1148225.0.specialist_struck_off.php

[Sgt Badass]

The paper was happy to run his full page adverts after the initial story broke, now they slap a bogus down (front page and everything) for being struck off a bogus list.

"First person to be struck off the register" - I think that's the more telling headline, when are they going to run a story on the GCC and find what a bunch of loonies they are?

[Blue Wode]

"First person to be struck off the register" - I think that's the more telling headline, when are they going to run a story on the GCC and find what a bunch of loonies they are?


My sentiments entirely.

Here’s one of the main reasons the GCC gave for Mr Proud’s removal from its register:

Exaggerated the seriousness of patients’ conditions, thereby misleading them in a manner that amounted to dishonesty

http://www.gcc-uk.org/files/page_file/NEWS%20Proud.pdf

It really is a joke. If you take a look at the three subluxation-based UK chiropractic organisations listed in post 6 you’ll see that the GCC has only knocked the tip off the tip of a very large chiroquackery iceberg - one that seems destined to grow bigger and uglier. See the ‘GCC Elections in the UK’ letter here:

http://www.thechiropracticchoice.com/edition_pdf/sep_2002_18.pdf

There’s a lot more Peter Prouds out there.

[Malamute]

I will definitely watch this one. Personally I am not a great fan of chiropractors after one cracked my shoulder blade which was totally unnecessary and unstabilised the joint, it cost me a small fortune in physio to correct what he had done. I went in with minor whiplash and came out with an unstable shoulder blade. :(