Reply #18: Chiropractors in Florida

[LibertyLover]

I am really glad that FSU' board rejected this proposal. In my opinion, Florida (or the rest of the US) doesn't need any more chiropractors. My family has reason to know.

About 10 years ago Susan, one of my cousins, 24 at the time, was living in Florida. She had had a baby about 2 months before and during the delivery her coccyx had been injured. She tried chiropractic and found that it helped. For some reason her chiropractor convinced her after a few spine manipulation sessions that she need neck manipulations too. During the second one she had a stroke, later determined to have been caused by a blood clot loosened by the manipulations. Luckily her mother was visiting, helping her with the baby. The doctor's office called the house to say that Susan was behaving oddly. Susan's mom put the baby in the car and rushed over to find her daughter stumbling around in the parking lot outside the office, mentally confused as well as having physical problems. My aunt got her in the car, and drove her to the nearest ER where the cause of Susan's problem was determined.

My aunt went back to the chiropractor's office a few days later to retrieve Susan's pocketbook, which she had left in her confusion, and asked why they had let her leave when she was in such obvious distress. The office girls first said they hadn't noticed any problem (then why did you call and say that Susan was behaving oddly?) and then said that it was policy not to hinder a patient if they wanted to leave, even if they were not in control of their faculties.

My cousin had a long but ultimately successful recovery and only has a little residual weakness on her right side and slight droop to her mouth when she gets tired. She even went on and had another child, although the pregnancy was deemed high risk because of the stroke. And there was a malpractice lawsuit which was settled out of court. The family had enough evidence, medical and otherwise, that had it gone to court, they would have won.