Thursday, April 06, 2006

Choose Your Delusion

First of all, I want to point out that I think this is all a bunch of bunk. It's merely mind over matter in the article below, but delusional beliefs that go along with it have no place in medicine. This goes for faith healing also as far as I am concerned. Just a bunch of quackery that can be very dangerous, especially when one is replacing legitimate medical help with deluded superstitious beliefs. I am posting this story to show how contradictory people are...many think this guy is delusional, but faith healers attract many of the same people who would call this guy mentally disturbed nutcase. And Benny Hinn is "normal?" This world is really scary with all the insanity. I feel like this planet is one big insane asylum!

Chiropractor Claims He Can Go Back in Time
By JOHN McCARTHY, Associated Press Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio - A chiropractor who claims he can treat anyone by reaching back in time to when an injury occurred has attracted the attention of state regulators.

The Ohio State Chiropractic Board, in a notice of hearing, has accused James Burda of Athens of being "unable to practice chiropractic according to acceptable and prevailing standards of care due to mental illness, specifically, Delusional Disorder, Grandiose Type."

[But it's ok for people to have delusional beliefs in supernatural invisible never-seen deities just like the ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians and other ancient cultures did and that is considered perfectly acceptable and healthy!]

Burda denied that he is mentally ill. He said he possesses a skill he discovered by accident while driving six years ago.

[Televangelist faith healers are not being taken off the air for having "delusions of grandeur."]

"My foot hurt and, knowing anatomy, I went ahead and I told it to realign and my pain went away," Burda said Thursday.

Burda calls his treatment "Bahlaqeem."

[But ooogey booogy faith healing is perfectly acceptable.]

"It is a made-up word and, to my knowledge, has no known meaning except for this intended purpose. It does, however, have a soothing vibrational influence and contains the very special number of nine letters," Burda's Web site says.

The board alleges in three counts against Burda that the treatment is unacceptable and constitutes "willful and gross malpractice." Burda has until May 1 to request a hearing. The board can levy penalties ranging from a reprimand to revoking his license to practice, said Kelly Caudill, the board's executive director.

[But doctors who pray over or with their patients are respected.]

Caudill said she could not discuss the board's allegations while the investigation continues and could not comment on whether any of Burda's patients had complained. She said the board began the investigation when it learned of Burda's Web site. Burda said he likely will seek a hearing.

Burda said he charges nothing for his first "visit," usually by phone or Internet, and subsequent treatments are $60.

"All treatments are satisfaction-guaranteed. Treatment is always done before payment is made," Burda said, adding that one patient "just wasn't satisfied, and I tore up her check.

The Web site describes the treatment as "a long-distance healing service (not a product) to help increase the quality of your life that can be performed in the privacy of your home or other personal space. There is no need to come to my office."

[sort of like when televangelists tell you to put your hands on the television set and pray for a meeeracle?]

The treatment is not telepathic because the patient does not have to believe in what he's doing, Burda said. He has treated hundreds of patients and reports nine out of 10 patients are satisfied, he said.

[There sure are a lot of suckers in the world.]

While he knows of no other people who have his particular skill, he said lawmakers and regulators should allow alternative forms of treatment for the patients who seek them.

"People who are in need cannot go to these people because they are not allowed to practice. This is terrible," Burda said.

4 comments:

Stardust said...

justinother...you are a doctor? I kind of thought so.

I have no problem with alternative medicine, and I think a positive outlook has much to do with recovery from various ailmentsm, as does diet, exercise and proper rest.

My husband won't even take a tylenol when he has a headache. He tries to find out WHY he has a headache and then tries to correct it...maybe he needs more water, sleep, relaxation. His headaches always go away as fast, if not faster than if he took pills.

As for this time travel chiropractor, and the Benny Hinn's out there...well they are all goofy. I read an article, can't remember where now, but it had said that most people who go to faith healers have their symptoms come back soon after their "healing" experiences...however there are some claims by people that they were healed for real. I say maybe they were misdiagnosed in the first place, which can happen a lot. Or something just coincidentally clears up on its own and then people, because they cannot explain it shout "Praise jeebus!" Like they attribute everything to that they cannot explain.

Stardust said...

justinother - what do you think of Ayruveda?

Stardust said...

In one of my psychology courses the professor was very big into Ayruvedic therapy for his patients. He had a practice on the side besides his teaching. There was a lot to it with the different parts of the body affecting different things. How to keep all parts of the body healthy to keep the mind healthy and all that. Everything connected.

Krystalline Apostate said...

stardust:
Pretty rich.
A chiropractor who claims he can treat anyone by reaching back in time to when an injury occurred has attracted the attention of state regulators.
Lemmee guess - he can't 'turn it on or off at will'.
The treatment is not telepathic because the patient does not have to believe in what he's doing, Burda said. He has treated hundreds of patients and reports nine out of 10 patients are satisfied, he said.
Can you say 'placebo effect', boys & girls?
Lemmee guess - his favorite song is Cher's, 'If I could turn back time', "Oh hey, I CAN! Cool!"