I Trudge No More - California Jam 2009

I have been jaded by chiropractors in the past. I have sought them as a solution to my chronic low back pain for 15 years. After almost giving up on them as a whole I was referred to someone who has changed my life...in more than one way.

Most of my chiropractors have given me immediate relief but it was never long lived. None of them have convinced me of chiropractic success until I was introduced to my current chiropractor, Dr. Marc Gottleib (http://www.lifewithincenter.com/).

He convinced me to undergo a long-term treatment plan. I have never given that proper consideration before because I thought any healing should be able to be accomplished in a week or two, like a prescription drug. Why would any right-minded American think otherwise?

I've since learned the answer is simple: the treatment needs long-term care because it took a long-term course of mistreatment of the body to surface a symptom. Before fully realizing this conclusion, Dr. Marc planted a seed: why don't I become a chiropractor? I chuckled. Yeah, why don't I also figure out perpetual motion while I'm at it? I was as skeptical at that as I was at chiropractic care before I met him. But I figured since he changed my view of chiropractic as a viable healing option the least I could do was to ponder becoming a chiropractor. Being open to alternative ideas, I started to give it due consideration. And I started to warm to the idea. Then he did something innocuous yet profound...he invited me to a conference of chiropractors called California Jam sponsored by an organization called The Dead Chiropractic Society.

The Dead Chiropractic Society is spearheaded by Dr. Billy D (chiropractors tend to use just first names in the "Dr." title) and their emblem is in the font of AD/DC: DC/S (http://www.deadchiropracticsociety.com/). Their goal is to highlight the virtues of chiropractic and the progress of chiropractic brought upon the past members of the profession. Much like the Dead Poet's Society. In fact, there is a great correlation to the naming. In the movie Dead Poet's Society during the "carpe diem" scene when Robin Williams had the students look at the pictures of the old timers, all of those pictures were of the founders of chiropractic: mainly DD Palmer, the founder, and BJ Palmer, his son who was instrumental in the education of future chiropractors.

Dr. Billy D spearheaded the entire event and gave the opening lecture. The stage was draped in the DC/S banner, a DC/S surfboard (both above), and two ultraviolet, backlit representations of DD Palmer (left) and BJ Palmer (right).

Dr. Billy D is 50+ years old but no one would ever know that after seeing him and his energy on stage. He frequently sprinkled the crowd with "you know, bro" and "do you hear me?" as he squatted for emphasis. Songs (and I mean cool songs) continually flooded the background and he often paused to kick up the volume a bit on songs he found profound. His message was simple: change the perception of chiropractic. The main point I understood was his analogy to race. What if someone said you could not order an x-ray because you were black or Hispanic? That would cause an outrage, right? But it happens all the time to chiropractors in the current American health care system. Another salient point he made with me was the notion that television and newspapers pollute the mind. Without tv and the paper, few would respond adversely to the trigger-finger reports of the "economic debacle."

Never minding the content of what was being said during Billy D's lecture, the energy of the atmosphere was absolutely unforgettable. I've always been a believer in aura and energy forces but I've never felt anything so great in magnitude as I did during the conference. You know how sometimes when watching a movie during a really emotional part you feel your eyes start to well with tears? You're not quite full streaming but you could at any second? For me it's the Bull Durham scene where Kevin Costner plays catch with his dad or when Dufresne and Red meet in Mexico at the end of The Shawshank Redemption. Or when Rudy gets into the game after the crowd is chanting his name. That's what happened to me no less than five times in the 50 minutes that he spoke and several more times later throughout the day.

Next up was Dr. James Chestnut. I thought I was spent emotionally until he announced an undeniable truth: humans are the sickest species. What? Yeah, I had to think about that too. But it's true. Despite all our advances in medicine, technology, and monetary wealth, humans develop chronic diseases at a rate that is incomparable to any other species. Why is that? Current, western medicinal thought proposes we prolong life through biochemistry manipulation but he supposes that is not a viable long-term answer. He proposes we need to address why genes cause the biochemical change in the first place. This train of thought can be justified by the efficacy of physical manipulation, ie, chiropractic.

At this point in the conference I'm thinking there is nothing else that can convince me of the true nature of chiropractic. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Stephanie recognizes me and says hi. Stephanie is a fellow student in my organic chemistry class 90 miles away. I have always noted her as someone with special and attractive aura, personally unknown to me until now. It turns out she is currently on the path to become a chiropractor, like me. The coincidence is too weird to politely consume passively.

After lunch the convincing continues. Dr. Claudia gives her lecture on the drugging of our children. It is quite powerful and is highlighted by the nugget that an esteemed British medical journal study proclaims the reason most people give their kids over the counter drugs during teething is so they can endure a good night's sleep. How pathetic! Though I have never had kids of my own I doubt I would ever be convinced of the scenario of drugging my kids during a natural growing process for my temporary respite. Another great point she made was that people are too comfortable with the word "drug." It is not a stigma nowadays and "drugs" are acceptable. She suggests using the word "chemical" instead of "drug" since all drugs are chemicals anyway. I agree. Think of caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol. They are all pretty harmless, right? They're all drugs. But now consider them chemicals. Would you consume them at the same rate?

The last thing that stuck with me at the conference was the need to boldly carry the chiropractic flag. It was likened to American independence. Traditional medical doctors have been trying to squash chiropractic forever. That's not hearsay; it's documented fact. That's mainly why chiropractic has such a bad reputation. (Example: how many people have heard of chiropractic? How many people think it's a valid form of care? Almost everyone has heard of chiropractic but few, except those that have experienced it, believe it's valid.) Over 600 people have been jailed for the practice of chiropractic. Yes, it's true! 600+ people whose only intention is to heal without the side effects and iatrogenic effects medical doctors cause. This fact is directly reflected in the price of malpractice insurance between the two doctors (chiropractors' are significantly less, by orders of magnitude).

Everything I soaked in during the conference cemented my decision to become a chiropractor. Granted, I was already 90% to that decision but I always had a nagging doubt. Now I am a firm 100%. Not only that, but for the first time in my life I am driven towards a goal. I know that sounds funny for someone that has been as successful as I have been in my pursuits. I've done a ton of amazing things and earned a plethora of accolades but I have never once been driven to any of them. They just happened as I trudged on through life listlessly. I trudge no more.