Chiropractic therapy has risen in popularity. But some people, when considering the manipulation of back and spine, might still wonder, “Is it a proven treatment? Is it safe?”
Dr. Barbro Brost DC, founder and CEO of The Brost Clinic believes fuel for such doubts can be traced back to the same source. “I’ve practiced for over 40 years. Thirty, 40 years ago there was no way a medical doctor would have referred someone to a chiropractor. At that time the American Medical Association [AMA] had a committee—it was called the Committee on Quackery—and their whole purpose was to destroy the chiropractic profession, because we were competition,” says Brost.
The AMA was sued and found to be involved in an unlawful conspiracy to contain and eliminate the chiropractic profession. “After that, they had to cease and desist any disinformation,” says Brost.
These days, more recent medical and nursing school graduates haven’t been inundated with inaccurate information on chiropractic therapy. In fact, Brost notes that her clinic receives between two to four medical referrals a month, a trend she says is gradually increasing.
Some prejudices persist. “The number one misconception is regarding education and licensing,” says Brost. “A chiropractor will go through the same amount of education as a medical doctor: pre-med college and then four years of chiropractic college.” Chiropractors are also required to pass rigorous national board exams and be licensed.
But is chiropractic therapy painful? Brost says, “It shouldn’t be. Sometimes—when you move a joint that’s really stuck—it can be a fraction of a second of discomfort, but it’s not painful. We even adjust little babies, and kids. They just giggle through the whole adjustment.”
That’s right. Chiropractic therapy isn’t just for adults. “We treat kids. The youngest [patient] I treated here in the clinic was a day and a half old on the way home from the hospital,” says Brost. “My current oldest patient is 101.”
The Brost Clinic
1421 Wayzata Blvd. E #100, Wayzata
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