Kirkus Reviews
2014-11-03
A comprehensive look at the effectiveness of chiropractic care in dealing with a wide array of health problems."Historically, the chiropractic profession has had to endure many obstacles," writes Scott Darragh, a vice president of the Massachusetts Chiropractic Society, in the foreword to Barron's new book. Barron himself confirms this statement, listing several persistent myths about chiropractic (including that it can cause strokes, or that its practitioners are unqualified), and warning, "Don't trust a Google search to learn the truth about chiropractic care!" He then sets out to make his book a central clearinghouse for accurate information about the current state of his discipline. In nine fast-moving chapters, he outlines some of chiropractic's successes in easing or reversing not only typical joint and muscle pain, but also such disparate complaints as asthma, concussions and even cardiac problems. The text is extensively illustrated, with chapters broken up into handy subsections for quick, easy consultation. Barron has been practicing chiropractic in the Boston area for more than 25 years, and as a result, he infuses his book with a great deal of medical information, presented simply and clearly; although the text can sometimes be quite technical, it never feels that way. As he addresses stress-related ailments such as carpal tunnel syndrome, scoliosis, lower-back pain, and some types of vertigo, his recommendations range from exercise and diet modification to the use of "cold laser" therapy. He accompanies his facts and charts with several real-life patient stories, drawn from his extensive experience. Finally, Barron rounds out his instructions and advice with an often sobering look at the state of the American health care system, particularly regarding its relationship to chiropractic, which includes good information about what insurance companies tend to cover or disallow. Throughout, Barron stresses that, for many health issues, chiropractic is a viable alternative treatment to more invasive, expensive approaches.An accessible, eye-opening guidebook to the benefits of chiropractic therapy.