“Dr. Arleen Scholten” – rings a bell?
Yes!
She is the chiropractor who treated John Lawler who then tragically died. Since Scholten was found not guilty of any wrong-doing by the General Chiropractic Council (GCC), she is practising unabated. These days, she seems to be particularly fond of treating children. Here are some excerpts from what she claims on her website:
Subluxations, or misalignments, within the spine can disrupt the vital communication between the brain and the body. These subluxations induce stress on the nervous system, potentially leading to a diminished function in the affected area. Infants, children, and adults can all experience spinal subluxations. Birth trauma, minor or major traumas, and developmental stress can all cause subluxations in infants and children. During the initial five years of life, the body generates more neural pathways than at any other time. It is crucial to optimize this production through pediatric chiropractic care, as these early years are pivotal for each child’s potential…
Chiropractic adjustments are safe for patients of all ages, including newborns… Over time, chiropractic practitioners have received valuable feedback from parents and young patients, highlighting significant and unexpected improvements in various aspects of their lives, including:
- Sleep patterns
- Behavior and attitude
- Immune system functionality
Additionally, patients have reported improvements in conditions such as ADD/ADHD, colic, torticollis, ear infections, bed-wetting, digestive issues, allergies, asthma, seizures, and more.
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Allow me to add a few comments on these claims:
- Subluxations only exist in the imagination of chiropractors.
- Therefore, they cannot disturb vital communication between the brain and the body.
- Nor can they induce stress on the nervous system.
- Nobody experiences chiropractic subluxations because they are a chiropractic invention to fool patients and take their money.
- Pediatric chiropractic care does not enhance a child’s potential.
- Chiropractic adjustments are not safe; as we have often discussed on this blog, they cause not merely very frequent mild, transient adverse effects but also serious and often permanent complications of unknown frequency.
- Feedback received by chiropractors is a far cry from amounting to reliable evidence.
- Chiropractic does not improve sleep patterns.
- It does not alter behavior and attitude.
- It also does not enhance immune system functionality.
- Nor does it affect ADD/ADHD, colic, torticollis, ear infections, bed-wetting, digestive issues, allergies, asthma, seizures.
Some of these conditions can be potentially serious. Treating them with chiropractic would needlessly prolong the suffering; in a worst case scenarion, it could even cost the life of a child. This, I feel, begs the question: is one death not enough, ‘Dr.’ Scholten?
She has already once been let off the hook by the GCC, I wonder whether the ‘Advertising Standards Authority’ will be as lenient, or whether they could step in and prevent a further tragedy.
5 Responses to Is one death not enough, Dr. Scholten?
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Apparently Arleen Scholten DC has no shame.
For example, she is on record saying her daughter will be studying at the *vitalistic* Scotland College of Chiropractic. See the first comment below the post in this link: https://tinyurl.com/28hj6bd9 (NB. Despite currently ‘educating’ at least two cohorts of students, this ‘college’ is not approved by the regulator, the UK General Chiropractic Council, yet it sees eligible students being able to apply for grants from the Student Awards Agency Scotland – i.e. government agency funding). Moreover, a recent assessment by the General Chiropractic Council’s Education Committee of this so-called charitable institution (the declared purpose of which is “the advancement of education” https://www.oscr.org.uk/about-charities/search-the-register/charity-details?number=SC046041) was, essentially, damning. You can read the report from p.126 here: tinyurl.com/mv92f7bj
It seems to me that Ms Scholten doesn’t possess a moral compass.
I am beginning to suspect that the moral compass has to be handed in when entering chiro school.
Such overweening hubris.
Let’s hope the ASA might look into whether the advertised claims are “honest, truthful”, and take steps when they find they are not. (“Legal, decent, honest, truthful” being the four big categories the ASA require).
Indeed, the “honest, truthful” requirements should, in my opinion, be applied much more rigorously to the advertised claims of many SCAM modalities.
“Subluxations, or misalignments, within the spine can disrupt the vital communication between the brain and the body. These subluxations induce stress on the nervous system, potentially leading to a diminished function in the affected area.”
Says “doctor” Scholten. Whenever I read bulls**t like this I recall a guy, a professor of chiropractic, one Stephen Perle, D. C., M.S., who, several years ago, spent considerable time trying to convince participants on the Healthfraud forum that there exists a chimeric “reform movement” with the fu**ed up world of chiropractic. (Or, as I like to call it, “mondo chiropractico). Mr. Perle’s fanciful posts were, as far as I could tell at the time, unsuccessful at convincing us that such a movement existed & he disappeared, running away with his tail between his legs.
In subsequent private correspondence I had with him (and I admit to a less than being 100% civil in my remarks), he became increasingly fractious in his responses, specifically by making disparaging remarks about two of the most highly regarded quack busters I’ve ever known: Wally Sampson, M.D. & Harriet Hall M.D., dismissing their knowledge & their reputation.
Mr. Perle’s contention is that, although there are isolated examples of stalwart believers in D.D. Palmer’s original subluxation as the cause of disease nuttiness, the overwhelming majority of these putative doctors have given up the theory & adopted scientific views. Evidently, Ms. Scholten & countless other chiropractors haven’t caught up with Perle as yet.
Miss Scholten is in the healthcaree business.
The GCC is responsible for regulating their registrants’ practice – but is not inclined to do so.
In the Lawler case Miss Scholten ignored that Mr Lawler had a totally stiff spine, due to ankylosingspondylosis, and wrenched his neck on a ‘drop table’. He had consulted with the understanding Miss Sholten was a doctor in the medical sense. Miss Scholten had not explained that she was not.
At the inquest, no medical expert in spinal care gave evidence – just a chiropractor who had never dissected or operated on a neck, but declared such treatment was acceptable.
The court, guided by the standards set by the GCC, accepted this.
It is Parlament which gives the GCC headroom.
That privelege should be reviewed.
Patients need protection from perverse promotion.